tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471792007846817232015-05-08T15:02:03.972-04:00Dispatches from the Thick of the 42 MonthsCalvinist Theologizing and MiscellanyZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-62842524132965024592012-10-23T13:44:00.000-04:002012-10-23T13:44:05.809-04:00My other blog...You may have noticed that I have a <a href="http://www.zacharybartels.com/" target="_blank">new author website</a> and a <a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">new blog</a> to go with it.&nbsp; My <a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/2012/10/blessthechildreview.html" target="_blank">most recent post</a> over there is a review of a bad 12-year-old movie that I hope will make you chuckle.&nbsp; I will still occasionally post on this blog (theological, ecclesiological, etc.), but please consider following the other one as well, since I will be posting there more and more frequently.&nbsp; <br /><br />Thanks!<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-36089180384637738722012-09-05T14:06:00.003-04:002012-09-05T16:15:02.531-04:00We’re Not Lost Puppies<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A number of times in the Gospels, Jesus is said to have been “moved with compassion,” usually when confronted with crowds full of clueless, desperate people (e.g. Matt 9:36; 4:14, Mark 6:34).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We think we know what that means, being “moved with compassion.” We think we can relate. Because we’ve all seen something sad, like a three-legged puppy or a kid whose ice cream tipped over, or something tragic like a filthy homeless man with no hope or a lost child screaming for his parents—and we know what it feels like to be filled with so much compassion that it’s not enough to just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel </i>it, we have to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">moved</i>by it. This is what we call “mercy.”<o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet . . . </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We still can’t relate (at least in the flesh) to Jesus’ being <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">moved with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>compassion</i>. You see, we can’t just take our human version of love or mercy or compassion—virtues common to all human beings—and ratchet them up to the sky in order to see what God’s love or mercy or compassion looks like. That’s backwards, upside-down. Instead, we need to look to the Scriptures, to the character of God, to see what love and all the rest really are, and then bring those to bear in our own lives.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Scripture that comes to mind <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is </b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Ezekiel 6:4-6</span></b><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">, in which God tells Ezekiel to prophecy to his people: “On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'” (ESV)<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon first reading, that would seem to reinforce the idea that you and I can fully relate to Jesus’ compassion. After all, who among us could walk by an abandoned newborn baby and not do everything possible to help it live, to wash it off and care for it. That’s about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>a million times more compelling than finding a lost puppy, but it’s along the same lines, right?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Look closer. Ezekiel is here proclaiming the Gospel message using the beautiful picture of adoption. God saw a child with no one to care for him, and so he took it upon himself. (Yes, Christians who choose to adopt children are living out a picture of the Gospel!) But whose child is he adopting? It’s his enemy’s child! It’s the children of the serpent, the children of rebellion!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>And more than that, this is not a sweet, whimpering baby wrapped in a blanket or left in a basket on the doorstep. Yes, it’s a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>pathetic picture, but not in the “Awwww, look at the poor widdle baby” sort of way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This abandoned child, despised and wallowing in blood, is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actively rebelling</i> against the one who would save him; that’s the cohesive picture of the unregenerate sinner presented in Scripture. Snarling and cursing and snapping at our Creator—this newborn is giving him the finger and blaspheming as the Father passes by. God is moved with compassion here not because of who Israel is (and certainly not because of who we are), but because of who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He is.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Granted, it’s a rather gross picture because it shows not only our helplessness to save ourselves, but our native animosity to the very idea of being saved. Scripture uses other gross pictures for sin as well:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>putrifying sores, a canker or gangrene, vomit to which a dog returns again and again. I had jotted down two other examples, but I honestly think I’ve made the point and the other two are so disgusting they might cause you to stop reading.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The point is this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Not, once we changed our minds and became sweet, sad little lost puppies, doe-eyed and asking for help. Human compassion might be moved to respond to something like that. But God’s love and compassion are different altogether.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Martin Luther put it this way: “The Love of God does not find, but creates that which is pleasing to it.” Read that again and then think about what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that kind of love</i> would look like! It’s hard to fathom. I remember the first time I noticed my wife walking the halls of Garber high school almost twenty years ago (she wasn’t my wife then). I remember it well. She was (and is) gorgeous, talented, so very confident. I remember thinking to myself: “Dibs.” I knew I had to do whatever it took to make her mine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And as I got to know her and understand just how kind and sweet she was and how it made me feel good to be around her, my love for her slowly grew over the course of years from infatuation to puppy love to immature romantic love and on and on. But in those early stages of human affection, each time the love levels up, it is the result of another set of hoops being jumped through and hurdles being cleared. Human love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finds</i> what it is pleasing to it and says, “Dibs.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But God’s love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">creates</i>what is pleasing to it! God sees the helpless, rebellious, filthy sinner, despising his aid and scorning his rule, looks down at that wretched creature and says, “Dibs. I will make of this sinner a saint!” That’s not human love or compassion ratcheted up to the N<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> degree; that’s something else altogether. That’s agape love.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And praise God for that kind of love. Without it, we would still be in our blood, dead and dying. But now we are in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His blood</i>, alive and being renewed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We’re adopted now, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. And this is not some future promise that will be fulfilled. I John 3:2 tells us this is what we are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if that’s the case, then we can (and must) love the people of this world, not with the kind of human love that is common to all, but with the agape love that God showed us. We must show people compassion, not just when they tug at our natural heartstrings, but when there is nothing loveable or even pitiful about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>By the very example he showed us, Jesus is compelling us to look upon a world as wretched and sinful as we once were and to respond, not with hatred or disgust, not with self-righteousness or a sense of moral superiority, but with compassion—the same kind of compassion we ourselves received. The more we recognize the extent of our fallenness, the more we will comprehend of our Father’s unfailing love . . . and the more we will be able to love him and love others. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 45pt 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." <o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 45pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">– Jesus Christ, Luke 7:47 (ESV)<o:p></o:p></span></div><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soli Deo Gloria,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Pastor Zach<o:p></o:p></span></div><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-66922081274766571242012-08-29T15:19:00.001-04:002012-08-29T15:53:54.416-04:00It's Just Some Guy Up ThereI think it’s safe to assume that most readers of this blog haven’t heard of Bill Burr. He’s part of a society of entertainers (along with Louis C.K., Eminem, et. al.) whose insane levels of undeniable talent are hamstrung by their adolescent penchant for cursing, sexual references and doo-doo humor. Anyone who enjoys mainstream stand-up comedy knows that it’s not uncommon to see someone on television (doing a bit on a cable improv show, sitting in with John Stewart, or headlining on Leno or Letterman), find them funny, and then wonder what the heck happened to their ability to make clever observations and turn a halfway intelligent phrase if and when you pursue their material further.<br /><br />Seriously, is anyone funnier than Louis CK as he rants about how “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk">everything is amazing and nobody's happy</a>?” But his stand-up specials make anyone feel like they need a Clorox-and-steel-wool shower after only a few minutes.The occasional TV spot or clip of these guys floating around on facebook is proof that you don't need to drop the F-Bomb every two seconds to be funny. In fact, that’s just lazy and stupid and makes everything <i>less </i>humorous.<br /><br />Anyway, Bill Burr is one of those guys. Like any comic, he has recurring themes, and one of his seems to be that he doesn’t like the idea of going to church (big surprise). But I find his reasoning to be simultaneously humorous and astute. Obviously, stand-up comedians are not trying to build logically water-tight arguments, but I thought these sentiments might warrant some interaction: <br /><blockquote>“My girlfriend always asks, ‘Why don’t you go to church? You don't believe in God and heaven and hell and all that stuff?’ And it's not because I don't believe in a higher power; I definitely do. My thing is that when I go to church, I can’t get past the fact that I'm just listening to <i>some guy</i> . . . That's just some dude. And people are like, ‘No, that's a special guy.’ No it isn’t! He didn’t, like, levitate down from the ceiling with a white light around him. Why would you listen to another human being tell you where you go when you die? Dude have you ever been dead? No, you haven't. So wouldn’t it be safe to assume that you don't have the slightest idea what you’re talking about? You're making it up! You’re not fooling me with the robes and the candles, speaking in old Enlgish. You're just some guy! Your name’s Jerry, you played soccer, you got your [butt] kicked in gym class, and now you’re doing this.”</blockquote>Elsewhere, he gives this analysis of the racket he sees in organized religion: <br /><blockquote>God’s everywhere but we gotta go down <i>there</i> to see Him? Really?! And He’s mad at me down there and I owe you money? . . . It's stupid. It's ridiculous.”</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eGUNeA7UtRw/UD5rPO3-TYI/AAAAAAAAAmw/XI9qovzWVB4/s1600/huell.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eGUNeA7UtRw/UD5rPO3-TYI/AAAAAAAAAmw/XI9qovzWVB4/s400/huell.png" width="400" /></a></div>The above sentiment is often multiplied ten-fold for those of us who are actually ordained ministers. As a kid, I remember having a reverence for pastors, assuming they heard direct revelation from God into their brains on an ongoing basis, thought only about lofty and holy things, and struggled only with tiny, insignificant sins. Now I not only know my own struggles and failings, but have seen the very humans sides of hundreds of pastors, church leaders, and even those who train them in colleges and seminaries, and you know what? In each and every case, it’s just <i>some guy</i> (or lady).<br /><br />Does that bother me? Not really. After all, <i>who else would it be?</i> I think the problem lies in this: somewhere along the line, Mr. Burr got the impression from the Church at large that he had to go <i>through this institution</i> to get to God. That, of course, is not the case, but I admit I’d be turning a skeptical eye to the whole enterprise too if I thought that the regular dude up there with the big black book, whose kids think he’s lame and who sucks at parallel parking and wears too much cologne is somehow my bridge into God’s presence.<br /><br />But here’s the thing: in the Old Covenant, God did utilize a human priesthood—tiered into Levites, priests, and the High Priest. Levites lived all around the Kingdom, ministering where they were. People knew them! They were everyday guys. The High Priest actually made the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement and brought the blood into the holy of holies. The guys involved in the priesthood were far from perfect—in fact, many were notoriously wicked or foolish (Nadab, Abihu, Hophni, Phineas, Annas, Caiphas, just to name a few), but God still used them despite this (John 11:49-51). I’m sure there were people in Israel who were jaded by corrupt or inept Levites and priests. And there were probably others, who thought to themselves, “You’re just some dude. Your name’s Aaron, your sister plays the tambourine, you used to make bricks and build Egyptian cities, and now you’re doing this.” But God called them to <i>do that.</i> He uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.<br /><br />Ultimately, I think many people’s hang-up with church is that they see it as an attempt to vault ourselves into God’s presence (and if that’s what it is, it’s a very cheap attempt), rather than an acknowledgement that he’s already come down to to be with us, he’s come down to be GOD WITH US.<br /><br />Jerry the soccer-playing, robe-wearing pastor isn’t <i>making it up</i> in an attempt to bring you to the heavenly level. He’s speaking words that came <i>down</i> and preaching the <i>Word who came down </i>in the flesh so that we could know our Creator. I don’t doubt that, in many cases, all the trappings of church (whether robes and candles or words like “vision” and “anointing”) are there to essentially trick people into forgetting that it’s just <i>some guy</i>. That’s just another example of how we, even like the priests of the old covenant, are screwed up and often self-centered. <br /><br />But the onus is on us. We need to remember that the focal point is never Jerry or whoever’s standing at the pulpit or behind the altar today. It’s the man who hung on the cross, paid for our sins, and revealed God to us in a way no one ever had before. <i>He</i> is not just “some guy.” I realize it requires faith to acknowledge that, but don’t let yourself get distracted by the guy behind the pulpit. He’s just a messenger, just a herald—heck, maybe he’s even <i>named </i>Harold. Look instead to the man on the cross, the God-man at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.<br /><br />My friend <a href="http://www.speculativefaith.com/author/e-stephen-burnett/" target="steveo">E. Stephen Burnett</a> pointed me to a very relevant passage in C.S. Lewis’s <i>Screwtape Letters</i> when I brought up Bill Burr’s beef with the Church. In his second letter, Screwtape, the senior demon, gives his subordinate Wormwood the following advice: <br /><blockquote>“One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. </blockquote><blockquote>Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread but through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy. </blockquote><blockquote>But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans. All your patient sees is the half-finished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate. </blockquote><blockquote>When he goes inside, he sees the local grocer with rather an oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing a liturgy which neither of them understands, and one shabby little book containing corrupt texts of a number of religious lyrics, mostly bad, and in very small print. </blockquote><blockquote>When he gets to his pew and looks round him he sees just that selection of his neighbours whom he has hitherto avoided. </blockquote><blockquote>You want to lean pretty heavily on those neighbours. Make his mind flit to and fro between an expression like ’the body of Christ‚ and the actual faces in the next pew. It matters very little, of course, what kind of people that next pew really contains. You may know one of them to be a great warrior on the Enemy’s side. No matter. Your patient, thanks to Our Father below, is a fool. Provided that any of those neighbours sing out of tune, or have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous. </blockquote><blockquote>At his present stage, you see, he has an idea of ’Christians‚ in his mind which he supposes to be spiritual but which, in fact, is largely pictorial. His mind is full of togas and sandals and armour and bare legs and the mere fact that the other people in church wear modern clothes is a real—though of course an unconscious—difficulty to him. Never let it come to the surface; never let him ask what he expected them to look like. Keep everything hazy in his mind now, and you will have all eternity wherein to amuse yourself by producing in him the peculiar kind of clarity which Hell affords.”</blockquote>Granted, Lewis is not Scripture by any stretch, but if he’s right and the Devil uses this particular tactic, it’s working wonders with today’s jaded, seen-it-all generation. I’m sure, as Screwtape said, Bill Burr has never wondered what he would expect someone to look like/be like if they had the very Word of God to proclaim. Let’s pray that he would and, in doing so, would recognize God’s extreme love evidenced in his willingness to come down and give His Word to the Jerrys, Zachs, and Bills of this world.<br /><br />If anything, let this little excursis on the ecclesiology of stand-up comedy remind us to point everyone <i>away</i> from our own unspectacular, often struggling selves and to the one who created us, redeems us, and will return one day to judge the living and the dead.<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria, <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pastor Zach Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-77680969486456499562012-07-25T10:52:00.001-04:002012-07-25T11:11:01.830-04:00It's Up to...WHO?Got a new car recently. Well, it’s not <i>new</i>, but it’s new to me and I love it. First thing I did, of course, was rub every inch of leather with leather-specific Armor-All wipes, even though it was already spotless. Then I gathered together all my stuff for the glove box and console and all my chargers and wires and stuff. Then I went down to the den for five CDs to load up the disc changer.<br /><br />About 2/3 of my listening time is regularly dedicated to music from my college days. This is not unusual, of course, and I’m lucky that I didn’t go to college in the seventies or eighties, but rather the mid-90s when music was flippin awesome. MxPx got one of the five slots, as did a Napster mix CD I made in about ’98 (“<i>Just how far down do you wanna go? We could talk it out over a cup of joe...</i>”) and one of my favorite albums of all time: Value Pac’s self-titled debut.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYfROkWE3w/UBAAMF-TCxI/AAAAAAAAAmU/Lq-MwH6TvVk/s1600/valuepac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYfROkWE3w/UBAAMF-TCxI/AAAAAAAAAmU/Lq-MwH6TvVk/s400/valuepac.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I still enjoy every song on the above record, but I can’t listen to them in the same way I did in ’96. Because these songs are all about Jesus and mankind and where the two intersect and I am now carrying with me the benefit/burden of many years of higher education en theologica. This colors my listening to every “Christian song,” whether hymn or hip hop.<br /><br />Surprisingly, the lyrics of the high school punk rock band called Value Pac are far more orthodox and biblical than most of what you find in Christian music. In fact, all of the five Solas are present in force on this album. One of my favorite songs (which you can listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69CKpJpYZtI" target="youtube">here</a>) is called <i>One Way Out, </i>and is one of the best pictures of the state of mankind and need for a Savior. It does not mention the cross, but other songs on the album do very specifically. All in all, it’s pretty solid for a song written by teenagers and comprised of power chords. And yet, the unrelenting doctrinal effect of evangelical youth group culture and <i>pull-up-your-bootstraps </i>American soteriology still gets the last word.<br /><br />Observe: <br /><blockquote><b>Verse 1</b><br />All alone in this world you don’t want it<br />Not anymore, oh no<br /><br />The cares of this world can choke you out<br />Ya got no direction; you can’t find your way out<br />Trapped in the maze that you call life<br />Not gonna make it until you see the light so bright<br /><br />These walls, you built them up yourself<br />Locked from the inside; can you break your way out?<br />Which way is up? Which way is down?<br />Walking in circles you can’t find your way around</blockquote>Yeah, I know. Not the best prose. But theologically, pretty good stuff for a high school or college age kid to listen to. The total depravity of man is conveyed to some extend. The human condition is trapped in sin, pictured as walls that we ourselves have built. The only door (I’m inferring a bit here) is locked from the inside by me, but I am apparently unable/unwilling to unlock it as the only option considered is breaking my way out, which I am unable to do. The only possible means of escape is me seeing the light. So far, so good by my score card. <br /><blockquote><b>Chorus</b><br />But Jesus will find you and He’ll never let you go<br />Jesus will find you<br />He won’t leave you standing all alone<br />He’s gonna find you and He’ll never let you down<br />Jesus will find you <br />He’ll help you out; whatcha gonna do?</blockquote>Okay, some of you might not like the language “He’ll help you out” and would prefer “He’ll pull you out” or something more monergistic sounding, but when you consider that we’ve already established the hopelessly trapped nature of man, I think the statement is in keeping with Jesus’ own references to/pictures of helping trapped animals out of pits, etc. And if you give that a slide, we’ve got a <i>solid</i> chorus here.<br /><br />I just returned from a week as camp pastor for 7th and 8th graders and I (as always) tried to drill into their heads that they didn’t find Jesus—if they’re saved, Jesus found them. And they aren’t holding their salvation in their hands—if they were, they’d drop it every time. Instead, they’re safe in Jesus’ hands! Amen and amen! <br /><blockquote><b>Verse 2 and Bridge</b><br />The ways of this world have let you down<br />You wanna make it, but you don’t know how<br />Losing this game someone called life<br />You’ve had enough you’ve had it for the last <br /><br />So watch your back as you walk astray<br />Turn around and walk the other way<br />You only want to live for you<br />Someday I hope you get a clue </blockquote>Here we have a call to repentance (literally, “Turn around and walk the other way” is a great definition of שׁוּב). Much like the prodigal son “came to himself” and returned to his father, we must “have enough” of what the world offers to fill the hole, have it for the last time, and—drawn by the Holy Spirit to the cross—repent and believe. Again I say, amen!<br /><br />But that’s not the end of the tune. After one more go through the chorus of “Jesus will find you,” there’s one more line, a little tag as the last power chord fades away: <br /><br /><blockquote>But it’s up to YOU!</blockquote>Ex-squeeze me? Uh-baking powder? Did you not just spend an entire punk rawk song telling me just how <i>not</i> in my hands this whole thing is? I’ve got this vision in my head of the lead singer with awesomely dyed, spikey hair, penning this song at a skate park, reading it over and having a weird conflicting feeling. He’s presented the Gospel as the Bible does, but it doesn’t jibe with what he’s been taught most of his life: namely, the largely Pelagian notion that God casts one vote for our soul and the devil casts one, and we get the deciding vote. As if that democratic process were the kind of <i>election</i> St. Paul refers to repeatedly. <br /><br />If only he’d just held that idea up against Scripture before tacking it on the end of his song about how sinful men and women are not only unable, but unwilling to turn to God until their eyes are opened, the cell of their sinful heart is torn down, they are raised from spiritual death to life . . . Yes, we must repent and believe. But thank God it’s not “up to me.”<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria,<br />Pastor ZachZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-74968603220300144602012-07-10T10:09:00.000-04:002012-07-10T10:30:19.735-04:00It's Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Mark-Beast-ebook/dp/B008IB14IK" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsWCIXio7wo/T_w1G7Q16YI/AAAAAAAAAmE/K4FkEVEgiGg/s640/titlep_gutcheck.jpg" width="480" />&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Buy it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Mark-Beast-ebook/dp/B008IB14IK/">here</a>. </div>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-59369975877687542342012-06-28T13:38:00.002-04:002012-06-28T13:51:56.566-04:00Is Comfort a Vice or a Virtue?<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember sitting in church as a little kid, thinking that the service must have been designed to make us kids as uncomfortable as possible. The hard pews, the organ music, the necktie, more than an hour of quietly sitting still.&nbsp; It seemed to me that the adults were perfectly comfortable (after all, they were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">used to</i> dressing up and sitting through hours of boring meetings), but we young people were being taught the spiritual value of discomfort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMsdzEMRp0k/T-yV8fV8SzI/AAAAAAAAAl0/Qyr9cL_lg4g/s1600/pew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMsdzEMRp0k/T-yV8fV8SzI/AAAAAAAAAl0/Qyr9cL_lg4g/s320/pew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s not a new idea by any stretch. Early Christian ascetics wore coarse clothing, ate little, lived in cramped quarters and slept on the hard floor because of the alleged spiritual advantage of being uncomfortable. Some even lived out in caves in the desert or at the tops of poles for years at a time. There is little in Scripture to back these practices up (in fact, St. Paul seems to rail against discomfort for discomfort’s sake in Colossians 2), but it has hung around in different forms for millennia all the same.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, though, thanks largely to the Baby Boomer generation, the opposite view rules the day. I attended a church in Grand Rapids for about 18 months where the main concern was that everyone be comfortable. I loved it! You could munch cookies and drink coffee during the service and the music each week featured a rock band playing a well-known secular song. If anyone was going to be uncomfortable in that setting it would be “churchy people” and older folks (and the leadership openly voiced how okay they were with this), since they might object to the loud music, smoke machine, and casual atmosphere. It was in a sense the exact opposite of the vibe of my church growing up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The “worship wars” of the 1990s saw those two outlooks battling it out over who was right. On the surface, the argument was about biblical fidelity and pragmatism, inward vs. outward, etc. But underneath, we might admit that both sides were fighting for their right to be comfortable in their church . . . only neither of them really wanted to admit it, since being comfortable had recently become a major sin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think it was sometime in the mid-to-late-‘80s that the term “comfort zone” began showing up with regularity inside the church. It’s a term borrowed from the world of corporate management and it refers to a state of being anxiety-neutral and performing at a steady level with little sense of risk. The idea is that, unless they are pushed, people will remain inside their <i>comfort zone</i>, avoiding risk and anxiety, and will therefore never move beyond their current level of performance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Naturally, in light of Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations, Paul’s admonition to preach the Word “in season and out of season,” and the apostles’ consistent examples of suffering for the Gospel, remaining entirely within one’s “comfort zone” is not an option for the Christian. And so we were convicted and the call to “get out of your comfort zone” became a bona fide <a href="http://twelve60.blogspot.com/2009/06/annotated-guide-to-buzzwords-cliches-pt.html" target="_blank">Christian cliché/buzzword</a>—one which still receives heavy usage in some circles today. But, as always happens, the meaning of the phrase evolved over time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The original emphasis of the term, as I remember it, was on evangelism. After all, it’s comfortable to talk to your neighbor or co-worker about the weather, last night’s ball game, or how many orange barrels are out on Michigan roads this week. It’s a step outside of the comfort zone to bring up matters of spiritual significance—particularly the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this way, the “comfort zone” catchphrase served the church of Jesus Christ admirably, reminding us that we are called to a much deeper life than our comfortable, surface-level chit-chat and amusements.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But then the term's usage began to broaden. Sunday morning worship became a time when the aforementioned churchy people and older folks were called on to step out of <i>their </i>comfort zones. (“It’s not about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you, </i>after all,” I remember foolishly chiding one woman at a church council meeting in 1997, parroting a church growth guru I’d been reading). And before long, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every</i> aspect of a Christian’s life had to take place outside his or her comfort zone if one wanted to be a stellar Christian. Those who were content with their jobs and at home in their neighborhoods and churches were probably sub-par in the spirituality department.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But is comfort necessarily a vice? And is discomfort necessarily a virtue? That’s a complex question with a multi-layered answer.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Consider:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Paul, in a rare instance of ringing his own spiritual bell, tells the Philippians (in chapter 4) that he has learned to be “content in all circumstances,” whether he’s abounding or in need. Regardless of the number of creature comforts he was experiencing, he was&nbsp; in some sense comfortable with his lot in life.</div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />2.<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>In Jesus’ parables and his <a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org/audio/revelation/" target="_blank">letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation,</a>the comforts of life often serve as idols that keep people from receiving the Gospel and bearing fruit.</div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />3.<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Jesus frequently referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Comforter.” Of course being “comfortable” and being “comforted” are two very different animals, but if discomfort were our ultimate goal as Christians, wouldn’t Jesus have sent the “uncomforter?” [Lest I be charged with equivocation here, both the “comforts of home”-type comforts and the sort of “comforting” done for a hurting friend have to do with removing anxiety, and that's what I’m mainly concerned with here.]</div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />4.<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Throughout his epistles, Paul frequently reminds his churches that Christians are given different gifts and called to minister in different settings and capacities according to those gifts. Not everyone is a preacher, not everyone a teacher, not everyone a painter. If the idea of getting in front of the church and speaking scares you to death, that doesn’t mean God wants you to “get out of your comfort zone” and give the sermon next week. Quite the opposite.</div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />5.<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Following Jesus is never the path of least resistance or the path of most comfort. It is the narrow way, not the broad.&nbsp; It is chipping a foundation out of stone rather than throwing a house together on the sandy beach, but in the end that is where our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">comfort</i> comes from.</div><div style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So when should you worry about being in your “comfort zone?” When is it a dangerous place to hang out? I would answer that question this way: only when you value your own comfort over God’s Word and his commands. In other words, when you are willing to disobey Him in the name of comfort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Some comforts are always a good thing and there are some comforts that a Christian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ought to</i> be able to enjoy: the cross of Jesus Christ, the comfort of reading and hearing his Word and partaking of his holy meal, the comfort of gathering together with the saints. As we continue to study the Book of Revelation (both in my <a href="http://judsonmemorial.org/audio/revelation" target="_blank">sermons </a>and on my <a href="http://outofsardis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">other blog</a>), it will become more and more clear that, while being a Christian in a hostile world involves many great discomforts (from the mild awkwardness of bringing up Jesus in a culture where that’s just not done to the tribulation of outright persecution for professing faith in Him), there is a comfort for the church in gathering together faithfully to worship our Lord and holding up the Light, as his lampstand, for a lost world to see.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">May we find our comfort in the same and offer it to all who would receive it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Soli Deo Gloria,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor Zach</div>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-10990893416772321822012-06-14T12:58:00.000-04:002012-06-14T14:20:55.409-04:00Out of Sardis (part 2)<h4> Here’s an excerpt from another post at my second blog, <a href="http://outofsardis.blogspot.com/">Out of Sardis</a>. This will likely be the last post from over there that I link over here, so please consider liking/ subscribing/ following/ whatever that blog as well. I've disabled comments on this post to encourage comments over there. </h4><h4> To view the whole post, click the graphic below:</h4><blockquote>I will be the first to admit that my default assumption is this: Jesus would do things the way I think they should be done—the way I <em>do</em> them. And I know I'm not alone here. This is a universal problem; since the Garden, we've had a propensity for remaking our God in our own image. And it's a problem that persists today, even in the Church. We all tend to read our preferences, our values, our politics,and our culture into Jesus and let them determine who He is, rather than vice versa.<br /><br />Like so:</blockquote><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://outofsardis.blogspot.com/2012/06/our-default-assumption.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="sardis"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JsQ2hpiQRfM/T9oXmifcEJI/AAAAAAAAAlo/UAf2E68RwzQ/s320/indyme.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote>But we don’t have to. We have Scripture. And not only does God’s Word contain a record of the teachings of Jesus on earth (in the Gospels) and the inspired apostolic interpretations of those teachings, it also contains the oft-overlooked Revelation of Jesus Christ and its seven letters from Jesus to seven churches (from whence this blog derives its name). We need not guess or grasp.<br /><br />Want to know Jesus’ position on sexual ethics for a church that finds itself in a pluralistic, over-tolerant, “sexually liberated” culture? It’s tempting to read our own views into Jesus’ heart and lips (i.e. “I just can’t <em>imagine</em> Jesus saying…”), but to do so is naive at best and idolatrous at worst. How much better to read the letters written by Jesus to churches in almost the same setting (Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira), in which Jesus addresses these issues directly?<br /><br />Likewise, when it comes to philosophies of ministry, particularly the hot-button issues of Church Growth and Church Health, it’s easy for all of us to assume that Jesus wants to use whatever ideas, strategies, traditions, or gimmicks we prefer in order to grow our churches. I know I’m guilty of this. And if we’re clever, we can even frame certain narratives from the Gospels such that Jesus seems to be on board with this or that trend, book, or buzzword.<br /><br />These days, I most often see this done (and have been frequently tempted to carry it out myself) with regard to the uber-popular notion that<strong> you can tell where God is moving (and how powerfully he’s moving) by how many people gather together, how much of a buzz a church generates in the media, and how large and impressive the facility is .</strong><strong>. .</strong></blockquote><br /><br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-20735826283024421082012-06-07T08:25:00.000-04:002012-06-07T11:09:16.045-04:00Out of Sardis (part 1)<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwbic4NqI5A/T9AeYEGJcuI/AAAAAAAAAlA/1bwfyNVQc-0/s1600/header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwbic4NqI5A/T9AeYEGJcuI/AAAAAAAAAlA/1bwfyNVQc-0/s640/header.jpg" width="555" /></a> <br /><h3>Jesus actually vomits in Revelation 3.</h3><br />We've all been reminded of that more than once—that the literal rendering of Rev 3:16 is, “Because you are luke warm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.” I suppose it’s a good enough rendering, although preachers sometimes imply an intimate familiarity with this particular Greek word, despite this being its only use in the New Testament.<br /><br />But either way, none of us wants to make Jesus puke; that much is obvious. And what triggers this awful response in our Lord? Why, our lukewarmness. Therefore: don’t be luke warm. Be excited, be active, wrap yourself in a flurry of religious activity, anything to avoid even the appearance of luke warmness.<br /><br />The context of this dire warning, of course, is the letter from Jesus to the church in Laodicea—the last of seven letters in Revelation 2-3 to seven different churches in Asia minor. These letters generally follow a standard format and include, among other things, praise for the church, a rebuke of the church, a warning or threat, and an exhortation. That’s the general outline followed by all seven letters. Except that there are two churches with nothing negative said about them—no rebuke, no threat, no warning. Nothing but encouragement, approval, and exhortation.<br /><br />And then, of course, there’s Laodecia, which has nothing <i>positive </i>said about it, further reinforcing just how bad it is to be luke warm. In fact, if there’s any church we <i>don’t</i> want to emulate, it’s Laodecia. And so we don’t. Church growth and congregation health gurus regularly remind us—and we remind each other—of Revelation 3:16 and how we need to avoid becoming another luke warm church in danger of being vomited out.<br /><br />Instead, we try as hard as we can to be just like the church in Sardis. And every day there are new methods and books explaining how to be more Sardisian in our approach and new success stories of churches who have grown as a result.<br /><br />There’s just one problem: Sardis is <i>not</i> one of the two churches for which Jesus had no rebuke and no threat. In fact, it was one of the two churches for which Jesus had no commendation, no praise—nothing good to say at all. Only the harshest of reproofs and most fearful of warnings. In the name of avoiding one deadly hole, we’ve been going deeper and deeper into another. Luther famously wrote of the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Today, we might instead speak of a Sardisian Captivity of the Church.<br /><br />This topic is so near to me that I've begun a <a href="http://outofsardis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">second blog</a> all about how the church’s conventional wisdom has shifted with—and bowed to—the world and its culture, how the books, the experts, the buzzwords, and the movements all assume what the church assumed in Sardis, namely that the way to gauge where God is at work is to use the world’s understanding of life, marketing, and mob psychology.<br /><br />This new blog will not a <i>discernment blog </i>dedicated to calling people/churches out, naming names, and anathematizing masses of sell-outs and heretics. There are more than enough blogs out there doing that. Instead, it will be dedicated to shining light on the unrelenting <i>trend</i> we see in Western Christianity, a trend of the Church trying to look like Sardis, instead of Smyrna or Philadelphia.<br /><br />How will we go about this task? Here’s how I see it (although it may shift mid-course): I will begin with a series of mini-studies on the letter of Jesus to the church in Sardis, drawing application to our churches today, then move on to survey some of the other letters in Revelation 2-3. When that is done, I will begin to add other contributors as we begin to apply these concepts more specifically (if you would like to contribute, let me know). The goal of this new blog (<a href="http://outofsardis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://outofsardis.blogspot.com</a>) is not just to raise the alarm about this disastrous trend in churches big and small, but also to provide insight and promote discussion about how we can head back <i>out</i> of Sardis.<br /><br />I’m not an expert on the subject, but together we will hear what the Spirit says to the churches. <br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria, <br />Pastor Zach BartelsZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-89730548192047432772012-05-30T13:02:00.000-04:002012-05-30T13:02:25.463-04:00Once in a Lifetime, Once a Week<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="&#45;-"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="&#45;-"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">I’m not sure why, but I’ve got a thing for significant anniversaries and days set aside to remember important people <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>and events of ages past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yesterday was Memorial Day and on that day I often think back to the Memorial Day observances I took part in as a little boy at the cemetery in Zeeland, Michigan, complete with Scripture readings, gun salutes, and the playing of taps. My enormous extended family (my father has eight brothers and sisters, all of whom have reproduced with gusto) comprised the vast majority of the participants. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IOpmSEEx_yQ/T8ZSQTi8tSI/AAAAAAAAAjU/fkINXiYwVz4/s1600/1260_ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IOpmSEEx_yQ/T8ZSQTi8tSI/AAAAAAAAAjU/fkINXiYwVz4/s320/1260_ad.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">After the service, I remember my dad showing me grave markers of family members, including those of his father and his brother who died as an infant. Now that I think about it, it’s entirely possible that this cemetery service only happened once and I’ve just idealized it as what Memorial Day should look like. I tend to do that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This year, my family went to no cemeteries and heard no one play taps. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>That’s because, for us, the day was about celebrating someone alive and full of life—my son, whose birthday fell on the holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We let him set the agenda for the day, which involved playing his new drums (yeah, we got him a drum set for his birthday—no regrets . . . yet), having a water fight, and washing dishes (I’m guessing that won’t last). It was awesome—another day that I will idealize and remember for the rest of my life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The last few years have been pretty full of significant anniversaries for someone of my persuasion. In the summer of 2009, my hero John Calvin turned 500. And while I attended two conferences and read countless articles surrounding the milestone, I realized three days after the actual birthday that I had missed it, which frustrated me to no end. After all, that’s a one-time thing. Like my son Calvin’s fourth birthday, John Calvin’s 500<sup>th</sup> will never happen again. And I let it just come and go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then in 2011, we had the 500<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the publishing of the King James Version of the Bible, one of the greatest steps forward in the history of the Church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>There are a few dates cited as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the day</i> of publication, but the most common is May 2, 1611.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Again, I realized a week late that I had failed to so much as give a thought to the day <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on </i>the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This year, too, holds a biggy, since it was in 1812 that my church’s namesakes, Adoniram and Ann Judson made the journey to the other side of the world as part of the first American foreign missionary journey of its kind. They left Massachusetts among the first Congregationalist foreign missionaries from America, but arrived in India the first American Baptist foreign missionaries (upgrade! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The date they set sail was February 19, 1812. I realized I had missed this 200<sup>th</sup> anniversary a few days after it passed. Did I mention it was a Sunday? Yeah, we met together and said nothing about the momentous occasion. Another once-in-a-lifetime anniversary wasted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, we’re not going to let that happen with June 17 (the200th anniversary of their arriving in Calcutta) or September 16 (the anniversary of the day William Carey baptized the Judsons by immersion into the Baptist faith). Seriously, I’m baptizing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone</i> on September 16, volunteer or conscript. Likewise, we’re marking the completion of the Judson’s journey (albeit a week early) by welcoming the president of Judson University to our pulpit to remind us of the legacy our church’s founders took upon themselves when they named our church Judson Memorial Baptist. I’m greatly looking forward to it!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As special as all these once-every-hundred-years type milestones are, however, the most important days of memorial for a Christian recur over and over again. Good Friday and Easter morning are opportunities to remember our Lord’s death and resurrection, year after year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>That the day will come again next year does not make it any less special. Quite the opposite. Even more frequent are our monthly memorials to Christ’s suffering and death, as we receive Christ in the bread and cup of Holy Communion. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But what if this weren’t so frequent? Would we be more likely to attend—to be absolutely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sure</i>we made it—if this were a once-in-a-lifetime thing, like baptism? Or if it were only once a year? Probably, but should that be the case? If Christ’s death and resurrection is really at the center of who we are, shouldn’t we grasp every opportunity to follow his command to “do this in remembrance of him?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And speaking of his resurrection, I’m sure you know that the reason we worship on Sunday and not Saturday (as in the Old Covenant) is because it was on a Sunday (the first day of the week) that Our Lord Jesus came back to life and walked right out of the tomb. In that sense, each Lord’s Day is a day devoted to remembering what he accomplished for us and what that means to us. Sure, another opportunity is coming in seven days, but can we really let any chance to devote a day to the Resurrection pass us by? I submit that a single monthly remembrance of our Lord’s death or weekly remembrance of his resurrection is far more important than the once-a-year or even the once-every-hundred-years anniversaries of births, deaths, and significant events that we make sure we observe each and every time they come around. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, we thought about those who had died, but at my house, we celebrated one who is alive. Each Sunday the Church does the same. I encourage you to begin shifting the way you think about Sunday worship, away from something we just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> because we always have, to a priceless opportunity to thank God for what he’s done and celebrate what he’s doing even now in our midst.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Soli Deo Gloria,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pastor Zach</div>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-9133333484811704582012-05-21T06:50:00.000-04:002012-05-21T06:50:00.583-04:00EpochalypsisAs I was smoothing out some of the wrinkles in the new blog template, I happened upon several unfinished posts in my “drafts” folder.&nbsp; Actually, they were more loose outlines or reminders to write a post later on (clearly they didn’t do the job, as they were all dated in 2010). One was a partially written review of the YouTube “documentary” <i>The God Who Wasn’t There</i> (which, of course, made the bold choice to refute itself, leaving a bunch of Christian bloggers wondering, “What do I do now?”)<br /><br />Another of these drafts was simply a copy of a blog comment that referenced me.&nbsp; It was from the blog <i>Epochalypsis: The Age of Unveiling.</i> I vaguely remember seeing a Facebook ad featuring their glowing <i>chi-rho</i> logo and clicking over to check it out.&nbsp; What I found was a post that referred to the doctrine of substitutionary atonement as “twisted crap.” I commented on the post, challenging some of the writer’s presuppositions, and got this response:<br /><br /><blockquote>The Twisted Crap: (that Pastor Bartels apparently teaches his flock) God wanted us all dead for being such terrible sinners and Jesus saved us from his wrath. Also known as "substitutionary atonement" (i.e. Jesus was substituted in our place), this is one of the most vile, unfortunate and common understandings of what Jesus and his death on the cross means for mankind. It basically takes the biblical concept of a compassionate, loving, parent-like unconditional figure of God and warps and distorts God into some kind of blood-thirsty, revenge oriented God of wrath. While this understanding of God may not be true or helpful to growing as a loving compassionate believer, it sure is helpful to make believers compliant and put butts in your church pews. Much of the Empire of Christianity owes it's growth and success to this very lie. How do I know this is crap?<br /><br />Think about the concept of substitutionary atonement this way: Imagine you were standing on the side of the road watching a mother and a daughter walking toward you hand-in-hand. Suddenly, a car loses control, and careens off the road onto the sidewalk right in the path of the mother and her daughter. With but a moment to act, the mother scoops up her daughter and throws her clear of the out-of-control car and then is killed instantly as the car slams into her. You run over to the scene of the accident to see if you can help. Paramedics, police and other bystanders are rushing around. Some are attending to the little girl, some are checking the mother's vitals, some are just in shock, crying at the horrible scene and the incredible sacrifice they'd just witnessed. Suddenly, out of nowhere, this wild-eyed woman walks up next to you, grabs your arm and says, "God wanted that little girl dead. The car was His wrath, and the little girl's mommy took her place."<br /><br />I bet anyone of us would look that woman in the eyes and tell her she was nuts. Crazy nuts. And yet that's what millions of Christians the world over hear and believe every Sunday. The term "sacrifice" is not meant like the virgin on the altar, or the lamb at passover. It's not some kind of offering to appease. "Sacrifice" is meant like when we say a soldier "sacrificed himself" by jumping on a mine to save his platoon. Or the mother in the story above. It's an act of compassion and love. Not an act of appeasement. And that, my friends, is what Pastor Bartels finds offensive that I call "a morbid, negative and creepy doctrine" on the blog." <br /></blockquote><br />Not sure what I had been planning to do with that little gem. I’m guessing that the reason it just sat there a draft is because, like <i>The God Who Wasn’t There</i>, after a basic critical perusal, there’s little left standing to even tip over. But it might be a useful exercise to see just how many <b>1.</b> false presuppositions,<b> 2.</b> logical fallacies / unwarranted leaps, and<b> 3.</b> blatant misunderstandings of orthodox soteriology we can find here. Not because it’s fun to tear someone else’s beliefs down (although the author of the above comment clearly thinks it is), but because, despite the fading away of many doctrinal-trends-formerly-known-as-emergent, the fashionable denial of substitutionary atonement is still on the rise among self-professed followers of Jesus.<br /><br />And when we encounter proponents of such thought, it’s important that we listen carefully, that we search the Scriptures to analyze, validate, or debunk their teachings, and that we don’t let them get away with pulling a record number of “fast ones.” <p>Soli Deo Gloria, <br>Pastor ZachZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-82916640512495076322012-05-17T06:45:00.000-04:002012-05-17T09:36:37.176-04:00How Old Is the Earth? (Sproul)&#8220;I have a high view of natural revelation.&#8221; -R.C. Sproul <p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41386833" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p>HT: Greg Koukl at <a href="http://str.typepad.com">Stand to Reason</a>.Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-23788312705560326362012-05-16T15:11:00.000-04:002012-05-16T15:32:15.864-04:00Stay Tuned for the Mind-Blowing ConclusionIf you look to your right, one of the many widgets you&#8217;ll see is an ad for our (Gut Check Press&#8217;s) <a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/rapture">on-going, serialized rapture-palooza of a thriller novel</a>. I first <a href="twelve60.blogspot.com/2011/02/dispen-sensational-re-visited.html"> told you about this project</a> last February, and we were cooking right along for a while. <p>As of yesterday, though, the most recent entry was from January 14. But then today, I dropped the Big One. <p>As we say at Gut Check Headquarters / Pastor Zach&#8217;s Basement (while adjusting our wigs and looking deeply into our own souls in the mirror), <i>It&#8217;s on now!</i><p>The aforementioned Big One: <p><blockquote><b>If you want to know how it all ends . . .</b><p>Dear reader-slash-footsoldier in the Gut Check Army, <p>Yes, it seems that we let this project go by the wayside, as if this serialized end-times thriller is now as irrelevant as <i>The Late Great Planet Earth</i>. But things are not always as they seem. <p>True, we did have a bit of a lag there—so much so that we're having to re-work the clever “whoops, the Mayan calendar really runs out in 2011” sub-plot—but we’ve also been working on this project behind the scenes. There are now four more chapters, each building this story to a ludicrously dispen-sensational climax. <p>Where are these chapters, and why aren't they posted, you ask? Because we’ll be wrapping this story up as a committee in the next few weeks (somewhere in a smoke-filled back room or spark-and-steam-filled alley) and offering the whole deal as an e-book for, oh let's say, three bucks. <p>Stay tuned at www.gutcheckpress.com. </blockquote><p>Honestly, this thing is a hilarious collaboration and it&#8217;s getting funnier as it gets more absurd. I&#8217;ll let you know when it&#8217;s all shrink-wrapped and ready for delivery to your Kindle or Nook.Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-22406904497339489892012-05-11T14:42:00.000-04:002012-05-11T15:06:23.513-04:00New Look!Check it out! I&#8217;ve got a new look here at <i>Dispatches</i>. <p>It occurred to me that, since my blogging career has involved more &#8220;comebacks&#8221; than John Travolta&#8217;s acting career, I needed to do something drastic to prove to the world that I&#8217;m really back on the blogging horse in earnest. So here it is: I actually updated my horribly &#8217;90s-looking blog template with something (hopefully a little bit) less outdated looking. <p>Let&#8217;s all just take a moment to bask in the heat of the smile now spreading the mandibles of the <a href="http://www.calvinistgadfly.com">Calvinist Gadfly</a>. <p>-Pastor Zach <p>P.S. This is also a good time to follow my blog <a href="http://www.google.com/friendconnect/signin/home?st=e%3DAOG8GaDr5aBwcATCNZIItH02a89MHofcbqzrFoiVfnIJE%252FT3MF%252FbPfkbYMvt%252BTHV4vzeVbOpNtNa3ig4%252BqKq501RcCJSaId78ar7NQUKDmZ4R6VL1UsLCGP2TWpIHHi04JaKv8YjT%252FmsjzCtxqTYh9G2HFqlI6pAXBIlDdqWHk99ko%252BrHxyekx5ttmKXNpZ4PzdIoE4TVPQlkmZyJRTbqtS215FCHUv6V7MaUzPno9IShHaSZaHdFGM%253D%26c%3Dpeoplesense&psinvite=&subscribeOnSignin=1">on blogger</a> (or <a href="http://www.google.com/friendconnect/signin/home?st=e%3DAOG8GaDr5aBwcATCNZIItH02a89MHofcbqzrFoiVfnIJE%252FT3MF%252FbPfkbYMvt%252BTHV4vzeVbOpNtNa3ig4%252BqKq501RcCJSaId78ar7NQUKDmZ4R6VL1UsLCGP2TWpIHHi04JaKv8YjT%252FmsjzCtxqTYh9G2HFqlI6pAXBIlDdqWHk99ko%252BrHxyekx5ttmKXNpZ4PzdIoE4TVPQlkmZyJRTbqtS215FCHUv6V7MaUzPno9IShHaSZaHdFGM%253D%26c%3Dpeoplesense&psinvite=&subscribeOnSignin=1">Google Friend Connect</a> or whatever) or on <a href="http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/dispatches_from_the_thick_of_the_42_months">Facebook </a>(via <a href="http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/dispatches_from_the_thick_of_the_42_months">Networked Blogs</a>).Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-24794292023250744542012-05-08T12:49:00.000-04:002012-05-11T14:30:49.378-04:00The Mother of All Preaching Problems&nbsp;&nbsp;<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My fellow preachers,</b></span><br /><br />I need some advice here.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23RC_9j6UbM/T6lOaGuocrI/AAAAAAAAAio/zK2twhhBfCM/s1600/mothersday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23RC_9j6UbM/T6lOaGuocrI/AAAAAAAAAio/zK2twhhBfCM/s320/mothersday.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23RC_9j6UbM/T6lOaGuocrI/AAAAAAAAAio/zK2twhhBfCM/s1600/mothersday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><b>The Background:</b> I have never been the kind of pastor who lets Hallmark determine my preaching calendar. I’m singularly unwilling to allow 10-20% of my precious opportunities at the pulpit to be hijacked by secular/cultural/sentimental holidays which are not rooted in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. <p>&nbsp;<br>When such a holiday comes along, I simply continue preaching through whatever book I was working through. More often than not, I’m shocked by the clear providence involved, as the “special day” in question (particularly days that touch on biblical themes, like Veterans Day, Valentine&#8217;s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.) fits together with the text hand-in-glove—totally unplanned, of course. Sometimes, I can even throw a bone to the holiday via a sermon illustration that serves the text. <p>But with Mother’s Day . . . well, let’s just look at my record . . .<br /><br /><ul><li><b>My 1st Mother's Day at Judson:</b> Preaching through Sermon on the Mount, I landed on, &#8220;If you look at a woman to lust after her, you've already committed adultery in your heart.&#8221;</li><br /><br /><li><b>My 2nd Mother's Day at Judson: </b>Preaching through Joshua, it happened to be about Rahab, the harlot.</li><br /><br /><li><b>My 3rd Mother's Day at Judson:</b> Preaching through Luke, the text was the woman of bad reputation (prolly a prostitute) who anointed Jesus' feet. (Some finding this less cute, and perhaps beginning to wonder if it’s by design . . . )</li><br /><br /><li><b>My 4th Mother's Day at Judson:</b> I had just finished 63 weeks of preaching through Luke the week before and took it as a providential sign to preach a one-off expository sermon from a Mother's-Day friendly text. Okay, fine; it was a topical sermon. (Does Act of Contrition). I actually heard more negative feedback for this move than positive.</li><br /><br /><li><b>My 5th Mother's Day at Judson:</b> Preaching through John's epistles, it seemed that the curse was lifted, as I was able to expound on love and truth.</li><br /><br /><li><b>My 6th Mother's Day at Judson:</b> Didn't want to mess with it, so I took the week off and called in a <i>real</i> professional (Mikey Gohn) to deal with preaching on Mother&#8217;s Day. </li><br /><br /><li><b>My 7th Mother's Day at Judson (this coming Sunday): </b>Preaching through Revelation, and have arrived at this text . . . </li><blockquote><b>Revelation 2:20-23&nbsp;</b> &#8220;But I have this against you, that you tolerate<i> that woman Jezebel</i>, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and <i>seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality</i> and to eat food sacrificed to idols.&nbsp; I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.&nbsp; Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,&nbsp; <i>and I will strike her children dead</i>.&#8221; [Emphasis mine, natch]<br /><br /><br />Seriously? On Mother’s Day! Come on!!</blockquote></ul><br />Part of me thinks it&#8217;s a test or something. Either, way (if I put it off a week or not), it'll be a great intro. But what to preach? And how to address it?&nbsp;<br /><br />I realize that many pastors do not choose their own text each week, or do not preach through books in an expository fashion, but let&#8217;s do a little inter-denominational-clergy-colleagues-take-part-in-a-Baptistic-style-vote a la bad ecclesiatical reality show action on this one. I&#8217;m thinking maybe going with whatever one of the major lectionaries has scheduled this week . . . ?<br /><br />What say you?<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-80937202236186739502012-05-02T12:20:00.000-04:002012-05-02T16:58:22.820-04:00The Jets, the Sharks, and Jesus<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>“They’re like Romeo and Juliet.”&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’ve heard that said when two people are deeply in love.&nbsp; What is meant, of course, &nbsp;is not that the two people in question are star-crossed lovers, destined to crash and burn as a result of their passionate feelings for one another. No, it means that they epitomize the timeless, starry-eyed ideal of the romantic love story.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But is Romeo and Juliet a timeless, romantic love story?&nbsp; I was reminded the other day that this uber-famous play is actually about “a relationship that lasted three days between a 13-year-old and a&nbsp; 17-year-old, which resulted in six deaths.” Well, when you put it that way . . .&nbsp; Romantic? No.&nbsp; Timeless?&nbsp; Only because we’ve made it so.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBNGTyrfbPY/T6FeMeqbJ8I/AAAAAAAAAiU/YxyvC7yP_2w/s1600/spoiler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBNGTyrfbPY/T6FeMeqbJ8I/AAAAAAAAAiU/YxyvC7yP_2w/s200/spoiler.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In fact, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i> has been told and re-told in countless different ways with as many different settings and backdrops (from Nazi Germany to wherever Porky Pig lives).&nbsp; One of the most famous re-imaginings of Shakespeare’s tale is the 1950s musical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">West Side Story</i> (cue snapping), which is set in contemporary New York and involves street gangs, knives, and zip guns (<i>zip guns!)</i>. Another well-known retelling was a film called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo + Juliet </i>that came out when I was in college, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and set in a fictional modern-day location called “Verona Beach.” Car chases and gunfights ensue, but the story of two star-crossed lovers remains the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It seems that the setting is incidental to this story. It’s really about the relationship between these two families (or gangs or whatever) and how it affects two young people and their budding relationship. The rest is just backdrop, which can easily be replaced with another backdrop without harming the story. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Many other stories also remove timeless tales from their original settings: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clueless </i>is really just Jane Austin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Emma</i> plopped down 180 years later in a Beverly Hills high school and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">O Brother Where Art Thou</i> is a loose re-telling of Homer’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Odyssey. </i>Both work because these timeless stories can play before any backdrop.&nbsp; Georgian England or 90210 in 1995, the Trojan War or Depression-era chain gangs—these are just details not essential to the plot. Now, there certainly are stories where this doesn’t apply (for instance,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Orwell’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1984</i> ceases to make sense if you remove the backdrop of a tyrannical dystopia), but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i> easily survives a split from its historical setting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Why do I even bring this up? Because our culture is viewing the world around us more and more in terms of narratives—stories. This is good news for Christians, since we have always viewed the world through the lens of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meta-narrative—</i>the one Big Story of how God created us, we fell into sin, and He redeemed us through an incredible plan that climaxed with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we speak in terms of stories, then, we’re speaking both the language of Scripture and the language of the culture, which can make for some pretty effective preaching and some rather naturally occurring evangelism in the workplace, the family, or among friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But we have to be careful how we tell the Story. I’ve previously shared with you the best advice I ever got about preaching: my homiletics professor told us, “Gentlemen, when you’ve finished your sermon and think it’s just about ready to preach, read it over and ask yourself this . . . <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Could this message still be true and make sense if Jesus had </i>not<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> died and risen again for our salvation?</i> If the answer is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes</i>, then throw it out and start over, because it’s not a Christian sermon. It’s self-help or life-coaching or tips for family dynamics, but it’s not a cross-centered message, which is what we are called to proclaim.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BiCjwEo6YfI/T6FeOTfja2I/AAAAAAAAAic/HyGgBvqQzw4/s1600/spoiler2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BiCjwEo6YfI/T6FeOTfja2I/AAAAAAAAAic/HyGgBvqQzw4/s200/spoiler2.jpg" width="200" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In other words, if you’re about to deliver a sermon or teach a lesson that is supposed to be rooted in the cross of Jesus, but you could swap out the cross of Jesus for the Koran or a book on etiquette or a self-esteem or productivity seminar (just as easily as swapping out Fair Verona for 1950s New York), then there’s something seriously wrong.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Well, the same thing applies to our very lives—our narratives.&nbsp; How is it that Jesus and his cross fit into your story? Is He part of the backdrop, a detail not essential to the plot?&nbsp; Is He a set-piece that could be removed or replaced without harming the overall story? Is the cross of Jesus like the setting of Romeo and Juliet (incidental and unessential) or is he more like the shark in Jaws? No shark, no story.&nbsp; Then again, we could replace the shark with a tiger or a huge snake or even a hurricane (after all, it’s a basic “man-versus-nature” story) and not lose too much. The story of Scripture, though, is man-versus-God. And God Wins through His coming down in flesh to dwell amongst us and His dying for our sins, only to rise again. It’s the tale of God, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. You remove that and plug &nbsp;anything else in its place and you’ve lost the whole story.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Rather than being part of the background or a supporting character in our story (a character who might be written out at any time), God calls us to become a supporting character in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His</i> story, the Big Story of redemption that he is writing. That means that our whole existence is only meaningful in relation to the plot of the Jesus Story. To remove us from that and try to find any meaning apart from it would be meaningless, like trying to create a spin-off series for the Close Talker or “Frightened Inmate #3.” When we realize that our lives have meaning only because they are part of God’s Story (and not because He is part of ours), then we can say goodbye to much of the uncertainty and doubt that so often plagues us as Christians—doubt that we’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing enough</i>, doubt that our story is compelling enough. It’s not. But His Story is.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Just as a sermon should pass the “Would it make sense without the cross?” test, so should our lives. When we prayerfully reflect on each day, perhaps we should ask the question, “Would today have looked any different if Jesus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hadn’t</i> died for my sins and risen again for my justification?”&nbsp; If it would have been the same, take heart—God’s story carries on. &nbsp;Let’s repent of our attempts to make Jesus part of the scenery and ask him every day to make us part of His Story, which is timeless—not because it can be re-imagined in a number of different times and places, but because it spans all of time. And he’s cast <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> in the role of disciple.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">How could we possibly pass that up?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Soli Deo Gloria,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pastor Zach</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-79161050481771839122011-09-21T13:54:00.003-04:002011-09-30T15:36:24.056-04:00Am I God's Co-Worker in Sanctification?Pastor Kevin DeYoung has a <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/09/21/is-sanctification-monergistic-or-synergistic-a-reformed-survey">great piece on his blog today</a>, dealing with whether sanctification is monergistic (an act of God alone) or synergistic (the result of God and man working together). If you're not familiar with the term <span style="font-style:italic;">sanctification</span>, it refers to the process by which my day-to-day life becomes more holy as I am made more and more like Jesus in thought, word, deed, and heart. <span style="font-style:italic;">Justification </span>refers to the initial declaration by God that I am legally righteous in his sight (which is decidedly a <span style="font-style:italic;">monergistic </span>work of God alone). <span style="font-style:italic;">Glorification </span>refers to the process (after death) by which God finally perfects us and renders us worthy to cohabit with him forever. This is also monergistic.<br /><br />I, for one, have no problem calling sanctification synergistic. When we think of justification, sanctification, and glorification, it is clear that the beginning of the work of salvation and the end are works of God alone and the part in the middle&#8212;which is never quite “complete” as such (since it is finished in glorification)&#8212;is where he lets us be a co-worker. It’s like when my son was just learning to walk, and I would pick him up from the ground and place him on the little “bridge” at the playground, then hold his hands as he “walked along,” then put him on the slide at the edge of the bridge, and help him down. No one watching that process would ever think that he had gone down that slide by himself, or that we were equal partners in the slide venture. I picked him up and set his feet on the playground at slide level, I put him down the slide. What little co-working I let him do was not because I needed his help (it would have been easier for me to just carry him myself) but for his benefit and as a privilege to him, so that he could learn a little bit more how to walk. The slide thing was essentially Dad’s doing (and the first and third portion were ALL Dad’s doing), but that little piece in the middle was a co-labor. For a reason.Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-38578014062855874152011-09-05T21:00:00.025-04:002011-09-05T22:51:01.856-04:00Why the Internet Is AwesomeThe Internet has opened up communication in a billion amazing ways. People who long ago drifted apart are now back in touch. Via social media, people who grew up with you are now chatting with your college profs and your boss, whilst gathered around ironic pictures of you in drag. <em>Worlds are colliding!</em> to quote Castanza.<br /><br />But that's okay. I like it when worlds collide. However, the Internet is actually a pretty clumsy, crappy place to have a group conversation. For example, imagine that two pastors, two seminary professors, a copywriter, a social worker, an artist, and a windmill salesman (right?) are all in someone's living room during a social event. How would conversation play out? A bunch of little discussions would probably break out around the party, right?<br /><br />Well, not on the Internet. We've got everyone in the room and now everyone's involved in one conversation. Only in true Seinfeld fashion, George and Elaine are talking about one thing, Kramer is chiming in with non sequiturs, and George is looking at his hairline in the mirror, voicing his panicked concern that it is receding unevenly. And, in this conversation, people keep walking out and walking back in. Some of them are still listening when they step out, while others don't bother to catch up with what they miss and just jump right back in without missing a beat. Oh, and the subject isn't allowed to change. If the first thing someone brought up was the recent dive in the stock market, then that's what we're going with. All night. We might experience some digressions, but someone will bring it back around. Does this sound like a fun conversation? Only if you're watching it from the outside.<br /><br />Case in point: I recently threw up on my wall a little quote from an article by Kevin DeYoung. Now, I loved the article; I thought it was brilliant. I was just throwing the quote up as my facebook status because I thought it was worded a little goofy and might provide a micro-second of entertainment. Like most people, I throw decontextualized, disembodied quotes on my facebook wall regularly (I usually get about five comments). <br /><br />Then a couple people responded. A pretty interesting conversation started up, which was less and less about the quote. This confused (maybe even upset) some people. Only on the Internet. In real life, if you and I are talking about baseball, then it leads into the recent heat wave, and before long we're talking about our least favorite brand of pastry, no one is confounded. We roll with it. But not on the Internet.<br /><br />Just for funsies, read through the below exchange (which actually encompassed more than 100 comments), <i>imagining it taking place with a group of people at a dinner party with the very cast I described above.</i> Let your imagination fill in when people enter and exit, what they're wearing, and what items they may be holding (spoiler alert: someone is holding a banjo). And see if the social media is doing anything to facilitate real communication. <br /><br />I want you to notice how the subject upon which we quickly land is called the "touchstone issue of our faith" by a decades-long seminary professor. This conversation coulda been a contender, if it had some focus. It could have been exilerating and satisfying in real life. But the Internet likes to ruin such things. Also notice how many times the word "disconnect" is used, which is funny considering A.) the notion of a <i>disconnect</i> was the beginning of the "touchstone issue" discussion, before it got disconnected, and B.) this whole thread is full of epic disconnect.<br /><br />Disclaimer: I've abbreviated names because I asked no one's permission, and abridged the heck out of everyone's bloated posts (my own included) so you can get the gist of things without getting all TL;DR on me. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.pastorzach.com/divide.png"></center> "Yes, I do think Mormons, Arminians, Egalitarians, and Dispensationalists are wrong—not equally wrong by any means, but on certain matters wrong nonetheless."&#8212;Kevin DeYoung. (So there's that...)<p>&nbsp;<br><b>TiffCo</b>: This quote gets to the heart of my disconnect with certain aspects of organized faith.<p> <b>RevZach</b>: How's that?<p> <b>DrGreek</b>: TiffCo's observation is good. God has given us a perfect bible and imperfect interpreters and commentaries. The real question is whether God will judge us more on our doctrinal statement or how we arrived there and how we hold it.<p> <b>RevScrib</b>: I'm lost.I have absolutely no idea whether KDY, DrGreek, or RevZach agree with me here, let alone with each other.<p> <b>Josh</b>: Since these four views do no agree about God, at least three of them must be wrong.<p> <b>RevZach</b>: Not really; it's easy to be an Arminian, egalitarian dispensatinalist, since these refer to three different categories and aren't mutually exclusive. <p><b>DrGreek</b>: You've touched on the "touchstone" issue of our faith ... how do we know and what is the Bible's relationship to knowing? [Makes shameless plug for book he edited]<p> <b>B-Atch</b>: Like RevScrib, I'm confused. It feels like people are sailing ships past each other.<p> <b>RevZach</b>: That's cause you and RevScrib are BOUNDED-SET. Ha! <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: Again, over my head.... <p> <b>RevZach</b>: DrGreek, The book sounds great. <p> <b>Josh</b>: This whole thing was an advertisement for a book? Do we all get a stipend? <p> <b>DrRick</b>: Since there are no inspired commentaries, can we add Calvinism to KDY's list? <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: You are the folks I would love to have in a class to discuss these issues... you are honest about being confused. Keep wrestling with these issues. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: RICK! How dare you, sir?! BTW, I think we lost TiffCo in the fog. <p> <b>TiffCo</b>: No, I'm still here. My understanding of God feels like it is beyond language and intellect, much like the analogy of the four blindfolded people feeling different parts of the elephant. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: I agree that we (the Christian Church, historically) too often act as though we have a near-exhaustive understanding of an infinite God. However, since we believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, in order to be consistent, we must see God as knowable, rather than beyond language and intellect. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: i.e. when describing a knowable person, one *can* actually be wrong (for example, if someone described me as "thin"). <p> <b>TiffCo</b>: I think we agree more than we disagree, and I appreciate when people's spirit and intellect are in communication. <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: My real confusion here is: why did RevZach bring up this quote in the first place? DrGreek, I agree with your comments. God will judge your fruit by how much he revealed to each person within the gospel of Christ. Rick, wouldn't adding Calvinism to KDY's list mean that he finds that wrong as well? I'm trying to clear everything up in one comment, since I still feel like everyone's talking past each other. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: I'm confused as to why you're confused. As far as "clearing everything up in one comment," that's kind of ironic, given the topic. <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: RevZach, sorry...I spent 40 minutes preparing my last comment, and was out of the loop. It all makes sense now. <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: I think the question is: how do we think about all the "voices claiming truth" from the same Bible, without falling victim to persuasive people or subjectivism? Since we have diversity of views within the believing community and God has not decreed a way to avoid it, he must have a purpose for it and we need to engage each other with more humility. We need to teach the "how" of handling the Scripture, not just the "what" of systematics. <p> <b>RevScrib</b>: TiffCo is right about the blind men/elephant analogy. God doesn't hold us accountable for knowledge not available to us. But when the elephant starts talking and telling the blind men about himself, they are accountable for that knowledge. <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: DrGreek, it sounds like we are on the same page, as you try to guide us through how we make sense of all of the competing doctrines within the various fields in systematics. <p> <b>Turk</b>: So is DrGreek saying that the Mormon "wrong" is different from the Arminian "wrong?" Is he saying that our faith is a blind faith, invested in a voice we might not really hear and probably don't understand, but trust anyway? <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: Turk, none of your response applies to what I said. I'm speaking of why one view might be superior to another, rather than assertions of right or wrong. Your question misses the issue of categories; Mormon is not in the same category as Arminian/Calvinist. Mormonism is outside the Christian canon; Arminians are within.I might find the Arminian view inadequate, but am very careful if I call it "wrong." <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: I would completely reject the idea of blind faith. Faith is not about not-knowing but knowing with conviction.Faith is not blind but full of light. <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: As to the question of how we know (epistemology), we have to evaluate the nature of our knowing when it comes to theological differences within orthodox Christianity. I know a lot of things that I can't prove, but can assert from a Christian worldview. When we just focus on which camp is "right," we risk missing the Truth due to poorly defined categories. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: And Turk thought he could just parachute in, drop a whole bunch of snarky questions, and escape through the storm drain. <p> <b>MissusRevZach</b>: Seriously, did KDY really equate egalitarianism with Mormonism? <p> <b>RevZach</b>: Knowing KDY, I'm sure that when he said "not equally wrong," he actually meant "not wrong in the same way," but even if he misspoke, I'm glad he did, as it gave birth to this huge theological exchange. <p> <b>Turk</b>: I thought it was over, and I'd just have to keep my Cat-5 blow to myself, but now I shall prepare a thorough response! <p> <b>DrGreek</b>: My greatest disappointment about this conversation is that no one has commented about my banjo. <p> <b>MissusRevZach</b>: Perhaps KDY didn't mean to equate them, but I would think that someone who speaks and writes as often as he does would think about the connotations of putting those things in the same sentence. <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: Speaking of which, I got to hang out with KDY today. That was fun. <p> <b>TiffCo</b>: Again, I feel God's presence so strongly, so consistently, that there can be no doubt about what I feel. Beyond that, I know NOTHING. How could I possibly have an opinion about what anybody else claims to know? <p> <b>RevZach</b>: TiffCo, would you also ask, "How can I have an opinion about what anybody else claims to know," if the claim were 2 + 2 = 4? (not that I'm saying that simple mathematical facts and Christianity are equally self-evident.) If someone says 2 + 2 = 5, can I call them wrong? <p> <b>TiffCo</b>: I'm picking up what you're layin' down. Honestly, maybe 2+2 sometimes does equal 5. I've never seen it happen, but what I haven't seen would fill two warehouses. <p> <b>Turk</b>: 2+2=Jesus, dummy. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: Okay, but you do essentially operate with the assumption that 2+2=4. In fact, every day you bet your life that you know certain things. If you didn't feel a disconnect from math class because they were dogmatic about right answers, why does it apply to the world of faith (remembering that mathematics is, at least potentially, infinite)? <p> <b>Turk</b>: You are too concerned about immediate gratification, DrGreek. Savor the anticipation. <p><b>RevZach</b>:Turk, go ahead and build some suspense. I'm sure the Rev. Dr. Greek, M.Div, ThM, ThD won't be able to sleep tonight, worried sick that four decades of teaching seminary has left him ill-prepared to deal with a PyroManiac... <p> <b>Turk</b>: Like all the alphabet soupies before him ... <p> <b>RevZach</b>: "I'm invincible!!!" - The Black Knight <p> <b>Turk</b>: Your ironic comment misses a lot, as did your take on KDY's statement. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: I knew I should have spent a decade studying under you instead of all those "alphabet soupies..." <p><b>TiffCo</b>: After much thought, I've determined that the disconnect originates with exclusivity of Chrstiainity, as found in John 14:6. (I actually wish this weren't so.) <p> <b>RevZach</b>: Tiff, I fully acknowledge that that's a tough pill to swallow. <p><b>Turk</b>: Oh please -- I have dismantled all of higher education with the phrase "alphabet soupies?" Not any more than you have dismantled orthodox ecclesiology by sarcastically citing another pastor. <p> <b>Turk</b>: I don't understand how you can read <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/09/01/those-tricksy-biblicists/">KDY's essay</a>, especially point #5 and think he lacks multiple categories and nuances. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: I've said at least twice during this conversation that I'm sure KDY did in fact mean "not wrong in the same sense" when he said "not equally wrong." But our discussion has moved rather far away from that little matter by now. <p><b>MissusRevZach</b>: TiffCo, I agree that that is a hard passage, although I have found that Biblical exclusivity is actually far more inclusive and all-embracing than most religions. And if there were no exclusive truth claim in Christianity there would be no point in believing any of it at all. <p> <b>Turk</b>: Moved on? DrGreek's comments began and ended with sentences that contained KDY's last name. TiffCo's beef with exclusivity and DrGreek's comments can't be addressed if we don't agree that both were responding to KDY. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: So, wait. That was your cat-5 hurricane? And I thought Irene was over-hyped... <p> <b>B-Atch</b>: This thing is still going on? Holy crap! It was like '64 when I last chimed in. I wish I had some awesome snarky comment to add... <p> <b>RevZach</b>: Sure, DrGreek made reference to the KDY quote, but those were just a springboard. We're not talking about the biblicism that his article addressed, but the idea of whether and how spiritual truth is truly "knowable" (i.e. in a way that permits us to call others "wrong?") <p> <b>Turk</b>:If the conversation started out being about KDY's post, and then somehow it became about me, I missed it. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: Frank, I promise no one's talking about you. You are excused. <p> <b>Turk</b>: I'm perplexed; the RevZach I know responds with substance, not second-rate condescension. <p> <b>RevZach</b>: That's it; everyone get out of my house.<p><center><img src="http://www.pastorzach.com/divide.png"></center><p><b>Update:</b> Between when I copied/pasted all this into blogger (and started formatting/abridging it) and when I pasted the link into facebook, Turk had offered a kind and sincere apology (accepted and here reciprocated&#8212;sorry for the over-the-top snark, Turkish D). But this just adds further weight to my premise. I know Turk for real, not just on the Interwebs, and we've never ended a conversation with a mutual apology. I'm guessing that less than 1% of my "real life" conversations end with me needing to apologize for tone, off-the-cuff comment that went a little below the belt, etc. But on the Internet, I'd say a good 4 or 5% of longish conversations end with me apologizing that I misunderstood someone, trying to explain that they misunderstood me, or trying to backpedal where I'd gone too overboard. I wonder if Skype and the like will eventually become more integrated with social media, blogs, etc., removing these barriers, as we re-gain control over tone, nonverbals, etc.Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-1156537193033599472011-08-31T15:15:00.003-04:002011-09-01T09:24:56.396-04:00(A) Moving Forward...<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JKSG-LGiHJ8/Tl-HCLSm-XI/AAAAAAAAAg8/NdvenvepoWc/s1600/movingforward.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 49px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647380929206221170" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JKSG-LGiHJ8/Tl-HCLSm-XI/AAAAAAAAAg8/NdvenvepoWc/s400/movingforward.png" /></a>About six weeks ago, I received an e-mail forward from someone I’ve never met, with the subject line “FW: LET'S PUT CHURCH FIRST AGAIN.” Now, I usually don't read e-mail forwards, but that title (despite the author’s defiant refusal to push the caps lock key in order to stop shouting at me) connected with me at the time. You see, I’d been thinking about the very topic quite a bit myself (albeit in lower case), as I always do during the summer months when church activities go on hiatus and church attendance takes a major dip.
<br />
<br />Here is the text of the e-mail (grammar and spelling mistakes intact):
<br />
<br />
<br /><blockquote>
<br />When I was growing up (in the 60's and 70's), we went to church EVERY Sunday. We also went to church on Wednesday and whenever the doors were open. The Mom's and Dad's went to Bible Study and the kids went to AWANA and youth fellowship. The teenagers volunteered in the nursery, puppet ministry and youth choir. No one brought their phone to church (because it wouldn't have worked anyways).
<br />
<br />Hardly anyone was open on Sundays then. It was a family day for church and for spending time together. Schools did not have tests or sports games or mandatorey events during church time, because they knew if they did no one would come anyways. If the rare occasian came up when some "event" was going on Wednesday night or Sunday morning, we didn't go, we'd already made a commitment to attend church! When we went on vacation (in a station wagon, not on a jet plane), we might miss a Sunday, but we still attended church SOMEWHERE. And when we did, we knew the songs they sang and the Bible they read from, because we used them too!
<br />
<br />Today, however....church is an optional feature on any given Sunday. If there is a game on or a big race during church time, people stay home and watch the game. If they were up late the night before, they sleep in and skip church. If they have work to do around the house, its more important than God who told us to rest on the sabbath day. If the weather is nice, they don't go to church so they can go fishing. If the whether is bad, they don't go because it would be a bother to get there. If there is a concert or a card game or a movie or a booster club meeting at the same time as church or prayer club, then it is ALWAYS more important than church. This is the opposite of how things used to be (and how things SHOULD be)!
<br />
<br />If we really are CHRISTIANS and we are the BODY OF CHRIST we need to turn this back round! Send this on if you think Christians need to put CHURCH FIRST in their lives once again!</blockquote>
<br />
<br /><div>After reading this message, I did not “send it on,” but I did think about it. A lot. Not because it was a well-written masterpiece or even a persuasive argument (appeals to nostalgia and emotion are generally not conducive to either), but because—even though I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s (not the ’60s and ’70s)—I could relate to this trip down memory lane, and I found myself nodding as I read, longing for the Good Old Days™ along with the author of this impassioned piece. And that actually disturbed me a little bit. Because the mindset of those few paragraphs is this: “How can we move backwards?” It assumes that everything was better “back then” and everything is worse now, so our mission is to go <i>back</i> to the future, in a sense.
<br />
<br />But should that be the goal? Would the church really be better off if we revived “puppet ministries,” even with the full buy-in of the congregation? Is it necessarily a step in the wrong direction that we don’t all use the KJV as our primary translation? Is there <i>never</i> a time to miss church for a family event or other “secular” commitment? If we were somehow able to successfully roll back the church to the ’60s and ’70s (or even the ’80s and ’90s), would we find ourselves better able to engage the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I would answer no on all counts.
<br />
<br />Remember when I coined that clever acronym G.O.D.S. (Good Old Days Syndrome) while preaching through Haggai? (Pretend that you do.) Well, too often the "Good Old Days" do become gods and idols to us, even when our intentions are good. How else do we explain the inclusion of station wagons and jet planes in this piece? What on earth does it have to do with the subject at hand, other than describing a “simpler time” in which the author was more comfortable?
<br />
<br />While prompted by a frustration that I <i>fully</i> understand, I think the above e-mail forward raises the wrong questions. Instead of wringing our hands about the direction the world has taken (and its unfortunate effects on the Church) and asking how we might rewind, we ought to be asking how we can stake out a vital and effective ministry as the Church of Jesus Christ in the world and the times in which we live. How can we best play the hand we’ve been dealt?
<br />
<br />The reality is that people’s lives are fuller, busier, and less simple than they were in the past. The way people look at time and priorities is different than it was in the past. Denying those realities is no kind of strategy. And firing off finger-waggy, <i>we-verus-they</i>, guilt-trip-inducing e-mail forwards is no help either. No, dealing with the reality means asking each other and asking ourselves, “In the midst of all the time commitments and all the different aspects of my life pulling me in every direction, how high of a priority is worshiping God with a body of believers, receiving Christ together, and serving in his Kingdom?”
<br />
<br />I don’t think any Christian intentionally chooses to put Christ and his Church on the back burner; it just happens gradually. It’s not (as the man or woman who penned the above diatribe suggests) that people choose to make Church <i>last</i> in their lives or that they sit down and number all of their priorities and write a notation next to the word <b>church</b>: “Skip this if inconvenient.” People are overloaded today—mentally, emotionally, time-wise, financially, and in every other way. If the Church adds to that overload (and if the Church makes it easy to slip away unnoticed), then people will gradually find it slipping down the list of priorities. Before long, the new habit is to come every six weeks, and then not at all. Some may even find it difficult or awkward to come back once they’ve fallen out of the habit.
<br />
<br />That is exactly why my church is planning a <i>Back to Church Sunday</i> on September 25. This is the time of year when we re-start all sorts of activities—new classes, new projects, new schedules, new sports seasons, new TV shows. As the summer comes to a close, people get the urge to get back into the swing of things. What better time could there be to come back to church and re-commit to making the Body of Christ a priority in your life? If you're a member at Judson, there will be information arriving in your mailbox shortly about this special Sunday, but for now, I just ask you to pin down that morning on your calendar and plan to be here for worship and fellowship that day. You won’t regret it. </div>
<br />
<br /><div>If you don't live near the capital city, I encourage you to go <em>back to church</em> all the same. Despite what George Barna tries to tell you, you can't do this <em>disciple of Jesus</em> thing on your own. That's why, from the very beginning, Christians have gathered together in ordered bodies (marked by the preaching of the Word, the proper adminstering of the sacraments, and church discipline) for the apostles' teaching, the breaking of bread, fellowship, worship, and prayer. If you belong to Jesus, then you belong in church on the Lord's Day.</div>
<br /><div>
<br />Or are you too busy flying around in your jet plane, talking on your cell phone, and sleeping in?
<br />
<br />Let’s move <i>forward</i> together as the Body of Christ, with his cross at the center of our lives.
<br />
<br /></div>
<br /><div>Soli Deo Gloria,
<br />
<br />Pastor Zach</div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-65459642416932152362011-08-19T09:48:00.004-04:002011-08-19T10:00:37.708-04:00Speculative Faith<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrfGJ67VRwo/Tk5sEXFAXiI/AAAAAAAAAg0/lSe2brFTTuo/s1600/specfaith_headline.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrfGJ67VRwo/Tk5sEXFAXiI/AAAAAAAAAg0/lSe2brFTTuo/s200/specfaith_headline.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642566205312097826" /></a>
<br />I had the honor of filling the Friday guest post slot at <a href="http://www.speculativefaith.com">Speculative Faith </a>today. <a href="http://www.speculativefaith.com/2011/08/19/harry-potter-bob-the-tomato-and-genre/">Click here</a> to read my article,<em> Harry Potter, Bob the Tomato, and Genre</em>, in which I try and subtly pimp my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983078327/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gutchepre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0983078327"><i>42 Months Dry</i></a> and explore the weird lines-in-the-sand, which (heh...sandwich) Christians tend to draw when it comes to inventive fiction.<br>&nbsp;<br>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-34752173712731440992011-07-29T09:49:00.012-04:002011-07-29T12:02:46.300-04:00God's Simple Perfection Wins.&nbsp;<br><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zYDi-Nrg8u4/TjLUrk8kw9I/AAAAAAAAAgM/a2Eq0HVozgQ/s1600/wittmer2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634799928911119314" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zYDi-Nrg8u4/TjLUrk8kw9I/AAAAAAAAAgM/a2Eq0HVozgQ/s320/wittmer2.jpg" /></a> Last night, I travelled west (you know, the way of Horatio Alger and Davy Crockett, the Donner party...) back to my old stomping ground in Grand Rapids for a book signing-slash-lecture-slash-Q&amp;A for my friend and favorite once-seminary professor, <a href="http://mikewittmer.wordpress.com/">Dr. Michael Wittmer</a>. He is promoting his latest book, <em>Christ Alone: An Evangelical Response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins</em>.<br /><br />Although at least two other books have come out to answer Rev. Bell, I would point out that Wittmer’s was first. And, having read it, I don’t really see the need for any others. The book is uncompromising in its approach to the Gospel, and yet still respectful and gracious in that trademark-Wittmer way that<a href="http://www.pastorzach.com/mccalvin.mp3"> once made Brian McLaren get misty-eyed</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><table style="FONT-STYLE: italic; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; FLOAT: right" width="320"><br /><br /><tbody><img style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581456740051677682" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7MUu-g_8qg/TjLUxEmMVUI/AAAAAAAAAgU/Ck9YGJg-sc4/s320/wittmer3.jpg" /><tr><td align="middle">We’ve got him <b>surrounded</b>...</td></tr></tbody></table>I’m afraid that our attention span today is so short that, when Justin Taylor single-handedly propelled Bell’s book to #1 on Amazon before it even came out, many assumed it would all blow over too quickly to warrant a written response (beyond a tsunami of angry blog responses, most of which came from people who had just seen the teaser trailer). In fact, as the second and third responses to <em>Love Wins</em> have recently been released to little fanfare, many have more or less ignored them, since the media storm has basically played itself out. But as of this writing, <em>Love Wins</em> is still in the top 200 on Amazon. And, while it’s old news on the cutting edge blogs and no longer on the cover of Time Magazine, Bell’s book is just making its way into homes and libraries in smaller towns.<br /><br />I wish I had a recording of Dr. Wittmer’s presentation from last night (maybe he’ll grace us with a link to the text in the comments section), but since I don’t, allow me to again commend to you the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Alone-Evangelical-Response-Bells/dp/0982706332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311949393&amp;sr=8-1">Christ Alone</a>, and to paraphrase Dr. Wittmer’s introduction (minus all the Taylor Swift stuff), which was itself worth the hour drive to the six-one-six.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.pastorzach.com/divide.png" /></center><br /><br /><blockquote><img style="MARGIN: 10px 0px 0px 0px; WIDTH: 195px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634800149898572658" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzOBLtWFppU/TjLU4cMFs3I/AAAAAAAAAgc/GrX3lcWy4WU/s320/lovewins.jpg" />One of the issues that Rob brings up in Love Wins is the question: how can a finite being ever do <b>anything</b> to deserve infinite punishment. Our lives span a finite amount of time and we have finite capacities, so how can hell go on and on and on forever?<br /><br />But he fails to take into account whom we have offended. Everyone recognizes how important this is. If you walk outside tonight and slap a mosquito, no one cares. But if you pull the legs off of frogs just for fun, we start to worry. If you torture puppies, we call the authorities [<strong>tasteless joke about cats redacted</strong>]. If you kill another person, we put you in jail for life, or maybe give you the electric chair. Who you attack matters.<br /><br />And we have all offended God himself with our sin, and attacked Him in order to kill (as the old hymn reminds us, we were spiritually present with the crowd who shouted “Crucify!”) an infinite and eternal being, and therefore deserve to be punished accordingly.</blockquote><br /><br />Like I said, that’s a paraphrase, but you get the picture. Dr. Wittmer flawlessly exposes the contradictions, hidden premises, and unbiblical teachings of <i>Love Wins</i> in a way that comes off positively, focused entirely on giving glory to God for the true Gospel of salvation, in which God’s holiness and love are not set at odds, but in which all of God’s perfections are one.<br>&nbsp;<br>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-21036458314944875902011-07-13T16:48:00.003-04:002011-07-13T16:56:39.103-04:00What Ted said. (About what Mark said.)&nbsp;<br>Sick of whiny people whining about awesome people? There's a little catharsis wrapped up in <a href="http://www.tedkluck.com/?p=764">Big T's latest post.</a><br>&nbsp;<br>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-56453189044543551762011-06-15T15:02:00.015-04:002011-06-16T20:00:13.796-04:00Ecumenical Evanglism?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beDcU4g7Zgg/TfkVBZbrksI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/4eb2uSvXGgM/s1600/NorthPres.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beDcU4g7Zgg/TfkVBZbrksI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/4eb2uSvXGgM/s400/NorthPres.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618545123872445122" border="0" /></a><br />Do me a favor and skim the Michigan Historical Marker to the left, which you can find outside a beautiful old church building in the happening Old Town district of Lansing, Michigan. I want to point out three phrases: “The First Presbyterian Church,” “prominent Methodist,” and “Gospel Preaching.” If you know anything about the history and <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6MnsjS-sc04/Sg21iyCBorI/AAAAAAAAANQ/66ZZOPkqdQU/s1600-h/reformed.jpg">family tree of Protestant denominations</a>, you know that Methodists and Presbyterians are quite separated by doctrine and tradition. Methodism is very much Arminian, while Presbyterians have historically embraced the doctrine of election. And yet, here we read about a prominent Methodist providing land for a Presbyterian church under the condition that this church provide Old Town (then Lower Town) with Gospel preaching.<br /><br />If <a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org/">my church </a>(read: the congregation under my care) had one of those historical markers (which we could almost certainly procure, but haven&#8217;t because they cost thousands of dollars and serve as something of a pair of shackles, limiting what you can do with your &#8220;historic site&#8221;), it would tell a <a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org/about/history.html">similar story</a>:<br /><br />Judson Baptist was the first church founded in South Lansing (which was, at the time, south of Lansing), an area that was booming with Oldsmobile employees and seeing new workers daily being added to the budding neighborhoods and farmers who had been working the land for generations. A group of several dozen women first started a non-denominational Sunday school program for the children of South Lansing, whom they feared would otherwise have no means of hearing the Gospel. In 1925, a Presbyterian man organized this effort in an old schoolhouse. Over the next few years, Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist, and Methodist churches worked to support this outreach, eventually adding preaching for adults in the afternoon. Progress was very slow.<br /><br /><center><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 221px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FzlRyA9uiN4/TfkWN1Cv4WI/AAAAAAAAAek/8iDV6DCDXGA/s400/1931.jpg" alt="Judson Church Cornerstone" border="0" /></center>In late 1928, a representative of the Michigan Baptist Convention offered assistance in establishing a church proper, and the group unanimously accepted the offer. By 1931 (right smack in the middle of the depression), they had laid the cornerstone for the building where <a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org">Judson Memorial Baptist Church </a>still worships every week.<br /><br />So, not only did we bring Methodists and Presbyterians together, but also Congregationalists and two different Baptist churches! The name for this sort of activity is “Ecumenical Evangelism,” and for some reason this has become a four-letter word in many of the circles in which I travel and operate. For example, a while back, I was looking into using the services of www.sermonaudio.com to host the growing collection of sermons we offer online. However, I found that I could not check the box of the site’s Articles of Faith, which listed rejection of ecumenical evangelism right along side the virgin birth of Our Lord and the atonement. (This proved providential, as the free services of www.archive.org are a better match for us, anyway.) Some of the major Calvinistic “coalition” and “alliance” type groups also have similar principles worked into their core beliefs and statements of faith.<br /><br />Now, I acknowledge the slipperiness of this term: “ecumenical” can mean (and, today, often <i>does</i> mean) “spanning all religions,” in which case ecumenical evangelism becomes a complete oxymoron, as Mormons, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus could never cooperate in their efforts to proselytize or even to proclaim good news any more specific than “Some sort of God or gods love you, so be nice to each other.” If I encountered such “evangelism,” after I finished scratching my head, I would join in condemning it.<br /><br />But the meaning of “ecumenical” in the Christian church, has historically referred more often to that which pertains to the entire Church universal (e.g. the First Ecumenical Council). In that sense, I would argue that ecumenical evangelism is nothing short of the most efficient and Christ-honoring way of carrying out the Great Commission. If churches and denominations can avoid duplicating efforts, many more can be reached. Christians—true Christians— of all stripes can proclaim together the basic message of salvation by God’s grace, by the blood of Christ, through faith in Him. We can together proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus&#8217; name, calling sinners to repent, to confess with their lips that Jesus Christ is Lord, and to believe in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead. Sadly, this type of “ecumenical evangelism” is often what is meant when websites, churches, and para-church organizations call ecumenical evangelism a slippery slope, an affront to the Gospel, an abomination, etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2818545893_85aa631f3d.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 407px; height: 297px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2818545893_85aa631f3d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>And yet the rolls of Judson Baptist Church are filled with the names of Christians who may never have heard the Gospel preached if it weren’t for that slippery slope. As are the rolls of North Presbyterian Church, which recently moved out of the Old Town building (left) and merged with Westminster Presbyterian. The Michigan Historic Site in question is now the home of the primarily African-American (yet diverse) congregation called <a href="http://epworship.com/">Epicenter of Worship,</a> pastored by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pastorseanholland?sk=info">Sean Holland</a> and his wife Tayana. I’ve met Sean several times, heard him preach, and regularly check out the church’s video blog, which is always filled with solid Bible teaching. Also of note is that Epicenter (which, until recently, met in the building of First Baptist, downtown) shares part of their facility with the Resurrection Life East Church, a charismatic-ish congregation with unofficial ties to the mega-church in Grandville. If you're getting confused trying to keep all this straight: <span style="font-style:italic;">good.</span><br /><br />That’s right, I don’t sweat it when the labels and brand names within the body of Christ get blurred and blurry. I acknowledge that any kind of ecumenism or Church unity always carries with it potential dangers. But so does a spirit of exclusivity and ultra-separation. And I’ll face the dangers of the former—and reap its blessings—rather than build up walls and hunker down any day.<br /><br />I’m sorry I can't sign your Articles of Faith; my view of the Church of Christ as bigger, wider, and more diverse than my own little corner of the Kingdom won't let me.<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria,<br />Pastor ZachZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-38791423066220872262011-06-02T07:35:00.001-04:002011-06-02T07:35:00.591-04:00Damnable Prayers, Spoken or ImpliedIn Mark 9, a man encountered Jesus’ power to heal and restore, and responded by bursting out, <br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">“</span>Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!</span><span style="font-size:180%;">”</span></blockquote>What a beautiful, succinct, and honest prayer: I have some faith, Lord, but give me more. Squeeze out the pockets of darkness with your light, and help me to cultivate a living, vibrant belief in you. Yeah, those six little words (just five words in the original Greek) are pregnant with theological and personal meaning.<br /><br />And, yet, it’s not enough for us today, is it? Today, we say, “Lord, help me embrace my unbelief.” Because acknowledging that you do believe is not “authentic” enough for today’s spiritual climate. Just like it’s now uncouth to claim that you know with certainty anything at all about God (even those things that God’s Word tells us with certainty). There’s a new standard for faith gaining momentum, and it is <em>unfaith</em>. In the last few years, pastors have even begun regularly stating and over-stating the shaky and tenuous nature of their own belief from the pulpit. (“Sure, I’m a pastor, but most of the time I wonder if there’s any God at all.”)<br /><br /><em>Lord, help me embrace my unbelief.<br /><br /></em>But that’s not the only update we’ve made to the Bible's picture of faith and how we live it out. Along with sacramentalizing a lack of belief, we’ve also baptized a lack of preparation. In describing the cost involved in following Him as Lord, Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30, esv). This is wisdom. In approaching matters of faith, we should inventory, prepare, and consider whether we will be able to follow a particular enterprise through to the end. The book of Proverbs also echoes this sentiment consistently.<br /><br />But that’s not enough for us today either, is it? The new mark of faith is to rush headfirst into any endeavor, only to find ourselves unprepared, under-committed, and ultimately unwilling. Then, we say to God, “This is <em>your</em> work, God, so you better do something about it. Bless my impulsiveness and lack of wisdom.” And later, when we tell the story to other Christians, this is painted as stepping out “in faith.” Counting the cost is out, running up a tab and then pinning it on Daddy to bail us out with a miracle is in.<br /><br />If you’ve been at <a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org/">my church</a> the last couple of Sundays, you know why I’m mulling over this stuff right now. It’s because, two Sundays ago, I prayed my own foolish prayer. The gist of it was, “Lord, bless my foolishness,” but it more specifically went something like: “Well, Lord, I feel like I can barely walk into the sanctuary, but it’s about time for the sermon. So you’d better give me the strength to power through.” I don’t know that I even prayed that prayer as such (i.e. I didn’t “speak it in my mind”), but it was implied.<br /><br />Of course, halfway through the sermon (if you can call it that), I mumbled something about coyotes and hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. And I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little miffed with the Good Lord for failing to answer my prayer. After all, didn’t it show a ton of faith and perseverance for me to throw wisdom to the winds and step up to the pulpit anyway? Wasn’t it a laudable thing to undertake a sacred duty—proclaiming God’s Holy Word—when I was completely ill-equipped to do it at the moment? In retrospect, those are pretty stupid questions. But at the time, I was operating in the categories of the “new and improved faith,” the kind of “faith” that doesn’t count the cost, but over-commits and leaves God in the awkward position of being expected to bless my foolishness.<br /><br />Ultimately, I was expecting special treatment from God—an exemption from the principles of biblical wisdom—simply because I was me, or maybe because I’m on his payroll. Either way, these are principles native to the kingdom of this age, not the Kingdom of God.<br /><br />Now, let me clarify. When I call this idea “new,” I mean that it’s currently experiencing a resurgence; strictly speaking, it’s anything but new. The Scriptures are full of people throwing up foolish prayers and making foolish vows to God. Remember in Jeremiah 21, when King Zedekiah asked God to set his holiness aside, overlook the sins of the people, and give them victory against Nebuchadnezzar? (Translation: “Lord, bless our sin and hardheartedness.”) Or the men who swore an oath to God that they would not eat until they had orchestrated the death of Paul? (Translation: “Lord, bless our hate because we’ve dressed it up as piety.”)<br /><br />Church history has its own damnable prayers. St. Augustine (before he had the “St.”) famously prayed for some time, “Lord, make me chaste . . . but not yet!” (Translation: “Lord, bless my carnality because I have big plans to be righteous later on.”) And even after the Reformation, some über-righteous church leaders told William Carey not to go overseas, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the precious peoples of India and beyond, because “If God wants to save the savages, he will do it without your help.” (Translation: “Lord, bless our laziness, callousness, and xenophobia, even as you make our wallets fatter.”)<br /><br />The modern church continues this legacy of foolish, misplaced prayers. Big-name Christian singers and preachers, caught in compromising positions, more often publicly pronounce that they need not repent; after all, they prayed for God to “release them” from this commandment or that, and he answered in the affirmative! And even local churches, whether implicitly or explicitly, pray God’s blessings upon tactics, motives, unions, and behaviors that are clearly counter to God’s revealed Word. And yet, by the current reckoning, this just shows lots of faith and a “big view” of God’s grace.<br /><br />I imagine most of these people knew their prayers were foolish as they uttered them. I sure did as I began trying to sputter my way through one of the most difficult texts I’ve ever preached, even while my vision swam. But if we know it’s foolish, why do we pray at all? Why not just leave God out of the equation, as many have, and “do what thou wilt?” I think it’s the same reason people clamor to surround themselves with false teachers who will say whatever their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3): because, in the flesh, we want a false assurance that God is okay with our sin and foolishness, the he is in fact in favor of them and will bless them, rather than to hear God’s Word proclaimed as it is, convicting us and driving us to the cross, where we will repent, be forgiven, and be <em>changed</em>.<br /><br />At the end of the day, praying a lot (even from motives that look super-spiritual) is no guarantor of true godliness. Selfish and misguided prayers are offered up by millions of people every day. The question is: what are we praying for, in what spirit, and especially, <em>are we submitting the content and spirit of our prayers to God’s Word</em>? Or are we asking God to give us our own little loophole in light of our special circumstances and our years of faithful service?<br /><br />May our sanctification lead us down a path toward the former kind of prayer. May we pray, “Lord, break my pride, humble my spirit, banish my fear, convict me of sin, guide me into true wisdom, and continue to renew me day by day.” And when we fall into selfish prayer (or when we fall to the ground as a result), let us be open to the Holy Spirit, prompting us to repent and to give ourselves anew to the God of Scripture.<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria,<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pastor ZachZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-10125883670650513342011-06-01T10:16:00.003-04:002011-06-01T10:56:13.008-04:00Jesus, Tractor Beams, and Disintegration RaysI&#8217;m back like John Travolta in &#8217;96! I have been neglecting my poor blog lately, I know, but I&#8217;ll make up for it with a double-header today and tomorrow.<br /><br />First up, a topic that was spawned from the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desiringgod.org%2Fblog%2Fposts%2Fjohn-piper-interviews-rick-warren-on-doctrine&amp;h=1a565">Rick Warren/John Piper Interview</a>. If you aren&#8217;t familiar with the background, John Piper last year invited Warren to speak at the Desiring God conference, and then a bunch of heresy-hunter types launched a veritable tweetgasm of charges and condemnations against Piper, 2nd-degree-separation-style.<br /><br />I posted the video of the interview on my Facebook wall, encouraging hardcore critics of Rick Warren to watch it if they hadn&#8217;t. What followed was one of those meaty meta-conversations that make Facebook worthwhile, largely between me and my friends <a href="http://www.yehaveheard.com/">E. Stephen Burnett</a> and <a href="http://teampyro.blogspot.com/">Frank Turk</a> (aside: Turk has an excellent article on the subject on TeamPyro today). Neither of these guys is a knee-jerk reactionary or a tiny-tent <a href="http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/neo_gnostic.html">neo-gnostic Calvinist</a>, which is what made it interesting.<br /><br />We disagreed on the subject of whether Rev. Warren was being entirely forthcoming in the interview, but in the process, we began discussing a fascinating question, which I formed this way:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">How close to Dort do you have to be before you&#8217;re allowed to carry out ministry unmolested by the Truly Reformed?</span></strong></blockquote><br />Turk answered, in true Turk fashion, &#8220;You cannot be too close to Dort. It&#8217;s like the Theological Starbase Batcave.&#8221; Yet the question remains: how far does one have to drift before the starbase begins a sequence of either tractor-beaming him in, or blowing him to smithereens?<br /><br />Are we New Calvinists supposed to despise Billy Graham? (I sure don&#8217;t!) If so, is it just old, quasi-universalist Billy or young, Finneyistic altar-call Billy too? Do we tolerate and cooperate with Methodist pastors at the local level, but then launch missiles when a preacher with run-of-the-mill Arminian theology and methods gets &#8220;big enough&#8221; to have a national platform?<br /><br />Do we trust any other traditions to maintain their own star bases and determine when their own ships have strayed too far?<br /><br />This is probaly <i>really</i> optimistic, given the fact that I haven&#8217;t blogged in like a month, but...[waaait for it]...<span style="font-size:130%;">DISCUSS</span>.<br /><br />And check back tomorrow for reflections on last Sunday, when I passed out and fell to the chancel like a sack of potatoes halfway through my sermon.<br />&nbsp;Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647179200784681723.post-72994714850689180892011-04-29T19:03:00.002-04:002011-04-29T19:08:38.241-04:00An Hour Early, A Moment Too LateI like church. Which I suppose makes sense, being that I’m a pastor and all. When I realized that our Holy Week schedule this year included four services at four different churches in the course of four days, I was jazzed.<br /><br />It’s no secret that I also love ecumenical worship, and the variety in this year’s Holy Week services was very wide: a somewhat informal communion and hand-washing service at Mt. Hope Presbyterian, a kind of mosaic of different traditions at the Good Friday noon service, Tenebrae at Christ United Methodist, and of course, Easter morning at Judson, where we did what we do best&#8212;immersed a believer in the baptistery, shook the sanctuary with choir and instrumental numbers, read a bunch of Scripture, and sat through a half-hour sermon (okay, maybe a tad longer). Oh, and that was all after a potluck full of doughnuts, bacon and sausage; a Baptist-er day I cannot imagine, and it was certainly one the best Holy Weeks I’ve ever experienced.<br /><br />That’s not to say the week went completely smoothly for me. When planning services with two different groups that include ten congregations from five denominations, wires can get crossed. There were a couple of small miscommunications along the way, but my biggest goof actually turned out to be a blessing.<br /><br />On Friday morning, I pulled on my favorite watch (a gift from my wife), and was surprised to see that I hadn’t yet “sprung it forward.” So, of course, I took care of that and headed off to church. There, I gave my sermon a couple passes through and was surprised to see that it was already time to head to Christ Community for the pre-service holy huddle with the other pastors.<br /><br />I was the first pastor to arrive, so I got my mic and did a sound check, then gave myself yet another little tour of the place (those huge old church buildings are especially majestic to those who don’t have to pay to heat them). Then, I noticed that it was quarter to, so I headed to the pastor’s office. I was <em>still </em>the only other pastor to have arrived. A little put out, I said, “The service starts in fifteen minutes. Where is everybody?”<br /><br />“The service starts in an hour and fifteen minutes, Zach,” was his response.<br /><br />That will teach me to try and decipher Roman numerals before I’ve had my first cup of coffee. Or maybe I had just confused the little hand with the big hand. Either way, the word <em>sheepish </em>would tidily sum up how I felt. I said I was going to go grab another cup of coffee from Biggby (which I obviously needed) and get out of the pastor’s hair, but he told me to just have a seat and make myself at home. And so I did, and got to spend an hour chatting with a pastor who I’ve grown to greatly respect over the past two or three years.<br /><br />The chance to absorb some wisdom from older/wiser/more experienced pastors is a treat and a treasure to me. I found out ten years ago that coming right out with, “So, what is the most important piece of advice you can give a young pastor?” just flusters, creates all sorts of pressure and expectations, and usually results in some super-spiritual, somewhat-vague pithyism. Instead, I just like to get people talking about what they’ve done, what they’ve learned, and what they would do if they had it to do again.<br /><br />And what I heard on Good Friday was that, if this pastor could go back thirty-five yeas and give himself some advice, one thing he would tell his younger self would be to emphasize putting your church in your will. Now, that might sound crass and shallow and less-than-spiritual at first (which is probably why he didn’t do it as a young man), but it’s actually as spiritual as encouraging Bible study, evangelism, or diaconal ministries within the church. In fact, it is encouraging all those things, because all of those things require funds and all of those things require a church to continue existing&#8212;to continue doing ministry&#8212;even through difficult times.<br /><br />At my church,, we’ve recently seen the impact it can have when someone chooses to bless her church even after death, while she’s reigning with Christ and awaiting the resurrection. But seriously: what pastor would ever want to bring that up? Luckily, my colleague did and so now I really don’t have to .(I think he’d want me to tell you that everyone, whether 35 or 95, should have a will, and that members remembering their church in their wills can be the difference between a church folding or flourishing through difficult times; wow, I’m glad I didn’t have to say all that.)<br /><br />There are a number of topics that are similarly awkward or a big downer to bring up, but incredibly important. Many of them have to do with death. Others have to do with what comes after death.<br /><br />It’s coming up on the time of year when I start preparing for a week as camp pastor up at Lake Louise. I’ve been going up there since I was a squirrely little boy, and I’ve sat at hundreds of campfires there, singing the same songs, looking at the same lake, and hearing the same kind of testimonies. And yet, one of them stands out against all the rest.<br /><br />When I was maybe fifteen, I remember one of the female counselors (a young lady named Natalie, who had just finished her freshman year at Judson College) breaking down and crying as she told us about her neighbor&#8212;let’s call her Judy. She and Judy (who was in her thirties) had been pretty good friends. Judy was an unbeliever, and Natalie had always wanted to share her faith with her, but had never gotten up the nerve, or perhaps the “right” opportunity had never fallen into her lap.<br /><br />Then, the summer before Natalie headed off to college, Judy began asking her why she was going to that religious school. “After all,” Judy said, “you could have gotten in to State or Michigan or any number of good private schools. Why did you choose that one?” Natalie immediately saw the open door to proclaim the Truth of the Gospel.<em> I’m going there because my faith is so important to me,</em> she wanted to say, <em>because Jesus saved me from hell and I want to become a better disciple even while I’m studying and preparing for a career. Can I tell you about Jesus?</em><br /><br />But Natalie didn’t say that. She gave Judy some lame answer about how her aunt had gone there, how they had a good tennis team, and how she’d always wanted to live near Chicago. Judy had kept probing about why Natalie had chosen “that school,” giving her five or six more wide open opportunities to open wide the doors of salvation. But she never did. She’d decided after the first encounter that she needed a year of schooling under her belt&#8212;some classes about evangelism, some spiritual maturity, some stories from the halls of the Christian college&#8212;before she could grab the bull by the horns.<br /><br />But Judy died in a car crash that April. And Natalie was begging all of us high school kids not to let those opportunities go by, even if they feel awkward, even if they’re easy to justify putting off. You may not get another chance if you drop this one.<br /><br />That’s the kind of story I don’t usually tell. Emotional blackmail and manipulation are not my bag, but it might be worth remembering once in a while that&#8212;while we occasionally arrive an hour early and have more time than we needed (and that’s a blessing!), more often we hear of people having less time than they had counted on. And whether we’re talking about evangelism, getting that will together, getting that degree, or finally getting back on that Bible reading plan, there’s something to be said for grabbing the opportunity in the only moment you’re guaranteed&#8212;this one&#8212;and wrestling it to the ground.<br /><br />So what have you been avoiding? What have you been putting off? Maybe now’s the time to do it. Maybe this is the last opportunity you’ll have. Or maybe it’s not, but either way . . . perhaps some prayer, some wisdom from the Scriptures, and some godly counsel will lead you to do something now that will have effects even beyond your life on this earth.<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria,<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pastor ZachZachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1